Sword Art Kingdom: Final Mix
by Jacob Pendra-Huth
Summary: These stories happen within 'Sword Art Kingdom' and 'Sword Art Kingdom II: Dimensional Bonds'. They have little to no effect to the main stories whatsoever, though they might be important in the stories onward. This mainly involves the characters of Sora, Kirito, Asuna, Yui, Leafa, Riku, Kairi, and many other characters from the stories.
1. SAK Detailed Bio

_(I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Sword Art Online. All I do is form my imagination from both stories, and share it with the world!)_

* * *

**Introduction**

**Author: Hello there, folks! My name is Jacob Pendra-Huth, creator of the 'Sword Art Kingdom Story'. I welcome all of you to my latest set of episodes within the last two 'Sword Art Kingdom' stories. These are known as the 'Final Mix' of the stories. For those who don't get it, they are like OVA in anime, so they have little to no affect to the two SAK stories. I'm here with my three main protagonists of the stories; Sora, Asuna &amp; Kirito!**

**Asuna: It's great to be here, Jacob.**

**Sora: No kidding! To think my series of 'Kingdom Hearts', mixed with the series of 'Sword Art Online' could bring about such a great storyline.**

**Kirito: Though there's something ironic with that whole name 'Sword Art Kingdom'…**

**Sora: What do you mean?**

**Kirito: Didn't you noticed that the initials of 'Sword Art Kingdom', a.k.a SAK, contain the same first letters of our names?**

**Author: Kirito's right. S for Sora, A for Asuna, and K for Kirito. This was complete coincidence, I assure you.**

**Asuna: But that's not why you called us here, is it?**

**Author: No, actually. Since we dealt with such a long set of episodes, especially since it is a crossover, I figured some of our readers might be confused as to what each of the main character's backstories have become. So now, I wanted to explain to them what each of your backstories are like, beginning from each of your past endeavors, up to what you did in the 'Sword Art Kingdom' series.**

**Kirito: No joke. And I bet all of this also follows up on how it will effect us in the future episodes, right?**

**Author: Right. So we should deal with almost all of the characters greatly involved in the series. Basically, thirteen characters.**

**Asuna: So who are you gonna explain first?**

**Author: Well, since the three of you are here, let's start with the three of you, starting with the first initial of my story; S…**

* * *

**Sora**

_(Cue Kingdom Hearts OST 'Sora')_

Sora is the main protagonist of the 'Kingdom Hearts' series, and also one of the protagonists of the 'Sword Art Kingdom' series. His home world is the Destiny Islands, where he lives with his best friends, Riku and Kairi.

Sora did not officially become a Keyblade wielder by normal means. Sora's origin started when he was only four years old. Sora had came in contact with two of the original Keyblade wielders, Terra and Aqua, but was not chosen by either one of them to be the next in line. Instead, Ventus' heart, which had been damaged after his battle against Vanitas, entered into Sora's heart, where he sleeps.

During the events of 'Kingdom Hearts', Sora was granted the power of the Keyblade, which was suppose to go to Riku. However, Riku's heart had given into the darkness. Using this power he gained, he journeyed with Donald Duck and Goofy in order to find Sora's friends and King Mickey, and stop Ansem and the Heartless from finding Kingdom Hearts. In the end, they prevailed, defeated Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, and they sealed the Door to Darkness, with Riku and Mickey still inside.

The trio then set out to find a way to reach them, during the events, they discovered Castle Oblivion, and being tricked by Organization XIII, their memories were messed up by Naminé, Kairi's Nobody. In the end, the trio met Naminé, and she placed the trio in a deep sleep in order to return their memories back to the way they were once more, minus the memories of what happened in Castle Oblivion. So for a year, the trio slept, their memories being restored in the process…

* * *

**Asuna**

_(Cue Sword Art Online OST 'Fight!')_

Asuna Yuuki is the female protagonist of the 'Sword Art Online' series, along with the main female protagonist of the 'Sword Art Kingdom' series. She comes from a rich family, where she lives with her mother, father and brother.

Asuna was not actually a true member of the Yuuki family. She was originally from Sora's dimension, and was the younger sister of Aqua, one of the original Keyblade wielders. She had the potential of becoming a Keyblade wielder, just like her sister. However, thanks to Xehanort's tampering, he sent Asuna to the other dimension when she was just a month old. This led to Aqua's true ambition to becoming a Keyblade Master; in order to find Asuna again.

Thanks to the guidance of Keyblade Master Gretinal, baby Asuna was set upon the doorsteps of the Yuuki residence. Along with her came also a white Wayfinder, given to her by Asuna's real mother, with her name inscribed by the young Aqua. Mr. and Mrs. Yuuki decided to take her in as their daughter, keeping the secret about her origin from anyone else, even Asuna herself. Mr. Yuuki even hid the Wayfinder from Asuna. Thus, she became Asuna Yuuki, a normal girl from a rich family, who had no idea of how special she really was.

At the age of fifteen, Asuna accidentally got herself trapped in Sword Art Online when she placed on her brother's NerveGear. Despite her utter lack of knowledge in VRMMOs, she quickly became one of the strongest fighters in the game, and was given the nickname 'Lightning Flash' after her superb skills with a rapier. She even became second in command of the best guild in the game, Knights of the Blood Oath.

During the two years she spent in the game, she had become connected to Kirito, the Beater of SAO. Despite a few quarrels here and there, the two eventually fell in love, and they became married in-game. During their marriage, they discovered the child, Yui, who was an AI, and she became their daughter.

In the end of it, when Kirito discovered Akihiko Kayaba, the creator of the game, and tried fighting him, Asuna protected Kirito, sacrificing herself so Kirito could beat Kayaba. The two survived the ordeal, and were thought to be sent back to the real world again.

However, Sugou Nobuyuki, the CEO of RECT Progress, and Asuna's fiancé, trapped Asuna and three hundred minds in ALFheim Online, where he attempted to seduce Asuna while discovering the way of controlling the minds of the trapped Players. However, Kirito, with the aid of Leafa and Recon, saved Asuna from Sugou's clutches, and defeated him.

Over the next year, Asuna had experienced many more such adventures, such as watching Kirito during the Phantom Bullet Arc or the Alicization Arc, to aiding Kirito in gaining Excalibur, to her moments with Yuuki Konno in the Mother's Rosario Arc. However, her events with Kirito and Yui were far from over, as she would soon find out…

* * *

**Kirito**

_(Cue Sword Art Online OST 'Survive the Swordland')_

Kirito, a.k.a Kazuto Kirigaya, is the main protagonist of 'Sword Art Online', and is one of the main protagonists of the 'Sword Art Kingdom' series. He is the adopted child of the Kirigaya family, and he lives with his aunt, uncle, and his cousin Suguha.

Kirito was made a chosen wielder of the Keyblade, but had no way of activating its' power. However, he did embody one thing inside him; a piece of Terra's soul. He gained this after Xehanort took over Terra's body, and separating a part of Terra's soul from his body. It found its' way to the other dimension, where it fell asleep within Kirito's heart. Kirito had no idea this actually happened to him, since he was asleep at that moment.

Kirito didn't find out he was adopted until he discovered it at the age of ten. Since then, he was drawn to VRMMOs, separating himself from his family. At the age of fourteen, Kirito became one of the thousand beta testers for SAO, and was one of the finest among them. This led to him being trapped within the game when it came to the public. After the first floor boss battle, Kirito became known as a Beater, which is the combination of a beta tester and a cheater.

Over the two years of being trapped within the game, Kirito made friends with several people, and became the most powerful Solo Player in SAO. He was so strong, that he was granted access to the unique skill, Dual Wield, which was only given to the Player with the fastest reaction. During his journey, he gained a close relation to Asuna, and they became a married couple in-game. They even adopted Yui, an AI within SAO, as their daughter.

In the end, Kirito deduced that the leader of the Knights of the Blood Oath, Heathcliff, was really Akihiko Kayaba, the creator of SAO. Kirito challenged him to a duel, Asuna sacrificed herself to protect Kirito, and Kirito got himself killed, but not before taking down Heathcliff. Both he and Asuna's lives were spared, and they, along with all the other survivors, left the game.

Three months later, during which Asuna had not woken up, Kirito discovered her within ALFheim Online, and decided to go in and save her. Through his efforts alongside Yui, Leafa, who was really his sister Suguha, Recon, and many others, Kirito made his way to the top of the World Tree, where Asuna was at. They stopped Sugou, who had undergone the name 'Oberon' as his avatar, thanks to Kirito's willpower, and saved Asuna and the three hundred minds trapped in ALO.

Over the next year, afterwards, Kirito underwent many other trials, like stopping Death Gun within Gun Gale Online, where he met Sinon, to claiming the legendary sword, Excalibur, to his trials within the Alicization Project. Overall, Kirito had more than his fair share of troubles and adventures in the online world, but nothing would prepare him for the next set of adventures that were about to bring down upon him.

* * *

**Donald Duck &amp; Goofy**

_(Cue Kingdom Hearts OST 'Mickey Mouse Club March')_

Donald and Goofy were friends and comrades of Sora in the 'Kingdom Hearts' series, and are deuteragonists within the 'Sword Art Kingdom' series. They are residents of Disney Castle, where Donald is the Royal Magician of Disney Castle, and Goofy is the Captain of the Guard.

In the beginning of 'Kingdom Hearts', Donald discovered a letter that Pluto had from King Mickey, explaining that he disappeared, along with a mission he and Goofy must take. They set out to find the 'key' that Mickey explained by going to Traverse Town, where they met many Final Fantasy characters, along with Sora, who wielded the Keyblade. The three companions worked together to stop the Heartless and Ansem, while searching for Mickey and Sora's friends.

In the end, they defeated Ansem, and stopped him from gaining Kingdom Hearts. They sealed the Door to Darkness where Kingdom Hearts resided in, sealing King Mickey and Riku within, whom they would go search for again.

However, they ended up at Castle Oblivion, where they were tricked and their minds have been manipulated by Organization XIII and Naminé. They finally encounter Naminé, who explained the truth about what she had done, and decided to help them restore their memories back to normal. After defeating the members of the Organization residing in Castle Oblivion, both Donald and Goofy went into separate Memory Pods, where they would fall asleep while their memories were being restored. They would awaken a year later, beginning the next part of their journey with Sora…

* * *

**Yui**

_(Cue Sword Art Online OST 'Yui')_

Yui is an AI program, and Kirito &amp; Asuna's daughter in the 'Sword Art Online' series, and a deuteragonist in 'Sword Art Kingdom'. She lives with her parents in the New ALFheim Online world, and is their Navigation Pixie.

Yui was created as a Mental Health Counseling Program for the players of SAO. However, the game system, Cardinal, forbid her from interacting with the Players, but only to watch them. As it was against her program, she developed many errors in her program. However, after witnessing the good feelings Kirito and Asuna felt, she wanted to meet them, but at that point, she had amnesia due to errors.

Kirito and Asuna found her and took care of her when she had amnesia. They even allowed her to be their daughter at that point. Some time later, when saving a guild leader, Thinker, she regained her memory and saved her parents thanks to the GM Console. However, because of this, she was about to be deleted by Cardinal had Kirito not turned her into a game object, thereby saving her as 'Yui's Heart'.

When Kirito entered ALFheim Online, his data from SAO transferred as well, and as such, he regained Yui's Heart again, turning her back to normal. Since that, she became a Navigation Pixie, assisting Kirito in saving Asuna from Sugou. She had been going on adventures with Kirito and Asuna ever since that point…

* * *

**Riku**

_(Cue Kingdom Hearts OST 'Riku')_

Riku is Sora's closest friend and rival in the 'Kingdom Hearts' series, and a deuteragonist in the 'Sword Art Kingdom' series. His home world is the Destiny Islands, where he lives with his best friends, Sora and Kairi.

When Riku was five years old, he was granted the power to use a Keyblade thanks to Terra's Keyblade Inheritance Ceremony. Terra also asked he keep this a secret from everyone.

Ten years later, as Riku, Sora and Kairi were building a raft, Riku accidentally released the Heartless into his world, and his obsession to leaving the islands drove him into darkness. This is why Sora gained the Keyblade instead of him.

Corrupted by Maleficent's words and controlled by Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, Riku turned against Sora, believing he abandoned him and Kairi, who had lost her heart to the darkness. It was later on that Riku came to his senses, protecting Kairi, Donald and Goofy at one point from Ansem before he was fully controlled. It was thanks to Sora defeating Ansem that Riku regained his body again, aiding Sora, Donald and Goofy from closing the Door to Darkness, sealing himself and Mickey inside it.

Later on, he awakens in Castle Oblivion, called upon by DiZ. He endures facing the darkness Ansem planted in his heart while fighting off against Organization XIII. Aided by Naminé and Mickey, Riku defeats Ansem, and accepts the darkness in his heart, knowing that darkness itself isn't evil. In the end, he chose neither the light or the dark, but the road to the dawn, and decides to aid Naminé and DiZ in restoring Sora's memory.

During the year Sora slept, Riku had to deal with the Organization even more, including dealing with Xion, who has some of Sora's memories in her, and Roxas, who is Sora's Nobody. Xion is defeated by Roxas, returning Sora's memories back, and Riku, who had failed to defeat Roxas at one point, ended up utilizing the darkness in his heart, changing his appearance and defeating Roxas, returning him to DiZ, where he would wait until he rejoins with Sora again…

* * *

**Leafa**

_(Cue Sword Art Online OST 'Fly Higher and Faster')_

Leafa, a.k.a Suguha Kirigaya, is Kazuto/Kirito's cousin in the 'Sword Art Online' series, and a deuteragonist in the 'Sword Art Kingdom' series. She lives with her mother, father and her cousin Kazuto. She is also a descendant of one of the Keyblade Protectors of her dimension.

At a young age, Suguha had no idea Kazuto was not her real brother. She and Kazuto both learned kendo from their grandfather, but Kazuto quit practicing, and after learning he was adopted, he distanced himself from Suguha. He eventually was drawn to VRMMO, and that's what drawn him to SAO. It was during that time when Suguha learned about her relationship to Kazuto from her mother.

At first, Suguha hated VRMMOs, but she later became curious, since it attracted Kazuto. So with help from her friend Shinichi, a.k.a Recon, she entered ALFheim Online, taking on the name 'Leafa', and became one of the strongest Sylph warriors in the game due to her sword skills and her quick adaption to flying. Even after Kazuto woke up, she never told him she was playing the game, though she did have 'more than sisterly' feelings for him, though she gave up after meeting Asuna.

When Kirito entered ALFheim Online to save Asuna, Leafa was the first person he met and saved from a group of Salamanders, not knowing it was Suguha. Leafa guided Kirito and Yui to the World Tree, during which she started to fall in love with Kirito. After a failed attempt to reach Asuna, Kirito and Leafa realized who each of them really were. After a shocking moment between the two, they forgave one another, and Leafa, along with Recon and many Sylph and Cait Sith warriors, helped Kirito and Yui reach Asuna.

Since that time, Leafa had been part of the SAO team, alongside Kirito, Asuna, Yui, Silica, Liz, Klein and Agil, with Sinon later to join. She witnessed Kirito in action during Gun Gale Online, and assisted him in the Excalibur Arc. She and Kirito had closed the gap they had gained since Kazuto learned of his relationship. Now, she was going to help Kirito even more in times to come…

* * *

**Kairi**

_(Cue Kingdom Hearts OST 'Kairi')_

Kairi is a close friend of Sora's, plus one of the Princesses of Hearts in the 'Kingdom Hearts' series, and is a character in the 'Sword Art Kingdom' series. She lives on the Destiny Islands alongside Sora and Riku.

Originally from Radiant Garden, she was sent to Sora's and Riku's world at the age of four thanks to a magic spell placed by Aqua when her world was overtaken by the Heartless. Over the next ten years, she would become close friends with Sora and Riku.

At the beginning of Kingdom Hearts, Kairi helped Sora and Riku build a raft so they could discover new worlds. When Riku accidentally brought Heartless into their world, Kairi's heart was unknowingly placed within Sora while her lifeless body was sent to another world, only to be found by Riku.

At Hollow Bastion, Sora finds Kairi's body and learns of her fate. Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, explained to Sora that he had Kairi's heart in him all the time, and that was one of the seven Princesses of Heart.

After driving away Ansem temporarily, Sora released Kairi's heart back into her body using the Keyblade of People's Hearts, but he ended up turning into a Shadow Heartless. As Kairi, Donald and Goofy escaped from Hollow Bastion, Heartless Sora followed, and after Kairi recognized him, she freed Sora from the darkness, returning him to normal. After that, Sora brought her to Traverse Town, where she would be safe and protected. And after convincing her to stay there so she could be safe, Sora gains Kairi's lucky charm; her seashell Wayfinder.

After Sora defeated Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, and closed the Door to Darkness, Kairi appeared on a piece of the Destiny Islands. As the destroyed worlds were returning back to normal, Sora promised Kairi he would return once he found Riku and Mickey. Kairi returned to the Destiny Islands, where she awaited Sora's return for over a year…

* * *

**Recon**

_(Cue Sword Art Online OST 'Last Flight')_

Recon, a.k.a Shinichi Nagata, is a Sylph warrior in the 'Sword Art Online' series, and a character in the 'Sword Art Kingdom' series. He goes to the same school as Suguha Kirigaya, a.k.a Leafa, who he became in love with.

While Kirito was trapped in SAO, Suguha wanted to learn about VRMMORPGs, but she still wanted to keep doing kendo and studying. When she approached Shinichi, he suggested ALFheim online, since it wasn't time-intensive, and it was based on the Player's skills. He then became Leafa's partner and mentor, though she surpassed him in due time.

When Kirito entered ALFheim Online for the first time, Leafa and Recon were ambushed by a group of Salamanders, and Recon ended up being defeated thanks to a stray fire spell and a slice from a dying Salamander. However, it was through this ambush that he suspected the party leader, Sigurd, was a Sylph traitor for the Salamanders.

After spying on Sigurd, he discovered his hunch was right, as he heard him converse with two Salamanders about a Tracer on Kirito and Leafa, plus an attack from the Salamanders on the alliance conference between the Sylphs and Cait Siths which, if all went well, would cause a war between the two races. Before Recon could warn Leafa, he was paralyzed and captured by the Salamanders. So instead, he warned Suguha outside of ALFheim. Thanks to the warning, Kirito and Leafa stopped the attack and banished Sigurd.

Recon escaped and reunited with Leafa at the edge of the World Tree. There, he confessed his love to Leafa, but got punched instead. Later, he joins Kirito and Leafa in the assault on the World Tree. He helps heal Kirito at first, then started drawing in the guardians to protect Kirito and Leafa. He ended up unleashing a powerful Dark-attribute, self destruct spell, sacrificing himself in order to destroy a large number of guardians, giving enough time for the Sylph and Cait Sith armies to arrive and aid Leafa and Kirito, allowing the Black Swordsman to reach the top to save Asuna.

Since then, he was offered as a member of the Lord manor staff thanks to the Sylph Lord Sakuya. While he never played any roles in the future adventures involving Kirito and friends, he would play a big part later on, alongside Leafa, a year later…

* * *

**Mickey Mouse**

_(Cue Kingdom Hearts OST 'Magical Mystery')_

Mickey Mouse, also known as King Mickey, is the main Disney protagonist of the 'Kingdom Hearts' series, and a character in the 'Sword Art Kingdom' series. He is King of Disney Castle and is a skilled Keyblade Master.

He was originally taught to wield the Keyblade under Yen Sid, another Keyblade Master. However, when he sensed the worlds were in danger, he runs away and uses a Star Shard to travel to other worlds, where he meets the three former Keyblade wielders; Terra, Aqua and Ventus. He forms a friendship with each of them, though Terra only sees him when he left the Mysterious Tower.

When the three students of Eraqus fought against Xehanort and Vanitas at the Keyblade Graveyard, Mickey aids Aqua as they fought Ventus-Vanitas, and defeats him. He then brings Ven's body and Aqua back to the Mysterious Tower. Some time after Aqua left with Ven's body, Mickey thought he failed to help and disappoint Yen Sid, but he instead was promoted to Keyblade Master.

Over the next ten years, Mickey had designed the Gummi Ship in order to travel to Radiant Garden, where he befriended Ansem the Wise and met Apprentice Xehanort.  
Before the beginning of 'Kingdom Hearts', Mickey noticed the disappearances of worlds, and left Disney Castle in order to discover what was causing it, along with learning about Organization XIII. He left a note with Pluto for Donald and Goofy to find, which told them to find another Keyblade Wielder, which would be Sora.

Discovering a Corridor of Darkness, Mickey passed through and found the Kingdom Key D Keyblade, which would seal the Door to Darkness. Using the Keyblade, and with help from Sora, Donald, Goofy and Riku, he sealed the Door to Darkness, with him and Riku still within the Realm.

Mickey, still trapped within the Realm of Darkness, aids Riku, who had was in Castle Oblivion, as a ball of light, guiding him until he could reach Riku in person. He eventually frees from the Realm, reaches Riku, and meets DiZ, whom he felt he had met once before. DiZ gives both Mickey and Riku the black coats of Organization XIII to use as disguises.

After Riku defeats Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, Mickey saves him from the darkness, and the two form a strong friendship, even Riku having to call Mickey by name. They leave Castle Oblivion, and the two parted ways at Hollow Bastion when Riku was worried about Xehanort's Heartless still within him, and he wanted to fight it alone.

During the year Sora slept, Mickey had encountered Riku again when he had the form of 'Ansem'. Mickey made a promise never to tell Sora of what happened to Riku when he wakes up again. So Mickey continued to search for more clues on Organization XIII, along with finding Ansem the Wise…

* * *

**Akihiko Kayaba**

_(Cue Sword Art Online OST 'Taut Nerves')_

Heathcliff, a.k.a Akihiko Kayaba, is the antagonist in the first arc of the 'Sword Art Online' series, and a character and boss in the 'Sword Art Kingdom' series. He was the original creator of the NerveGear and the game Sword Art Online.

He created Sword Art Online with the intention to create an ideal world, free from the rule of the outside world. He had successfully trapped ten thousand Players within the game. Under a disguise, he told them that the only way to escape was to conquer all hundred floors of Aincrad. If they died in the game, or if their NerveGear was removed from the outside world, their brains would be fried, and they would die. Explaining the rules and changing the avatars of all the players to look like their real life bodies, he then leaves them.

He then took on the form of Heathcliff, the leader of the guild 'Knights of the Blood Oath', and was known as the strongest Player in the game. His strength and name grew far and wide throughout the game, given him the title 'Man of Legend', since his health never went into the yellow zone, due to the system protecting him. He also hid the fact that he would be the final boss on the 100th floor of Aincrad.

When Asuna, who was second in command in the 'Knights of the Blood Oath', wanted to leave the guild to be with Kirito, Heathcliff challenged Kirito to a duel. It was through this fight, when Heathcliff's speed increased beyond the system limits to block Kirito's attack, that Kirito suspected Heathcliff's identity. His suspicions were true after the 75th floor boss, and he revealed his identity. Kirito then fought against Heathcliff, with the reward being everyone's freedom from the game. After Asuna sacrificed herself to save Kirito, he pulled off a miracle, and defeated Heathcliff, who spared Kirito and Asuna's lives, and freed them, along with the rest of the Players trapped within.

After the collapse of SAO, Kayaba transferred his consciousness into the virtual world permanently, though killing his real body in the process. He then later encourages Kirito during his fight against Oberon, a.k.a Sugou Nobuyuki, giving Kirito the strength to continue fighting and allowing him access to his old administrator ID, giving him the power to defeat Oberon. After Oberon's defeat and Asuna's return to the real world, Kayaba appears before Kirito, giving him the World Seed as compensation for helping Kirito, then disappeared from him.

While it was unknown what happened to Kayaba afterwards, his consciousness still existed within the virtual world. It was over a year later, when he would be soon discovered where he would be…

* * *

**Sugou Nobuyuki**

_(Cue Sword Art Online OST 'Oberon')_

Sugou, a.k.a Oberon, is the antagonist of the second arc of the 'Sword Art Online' series, and is an antagonist in the 'Sword Art Kingdom' series. He is also Asuna's ex-fiance, and the chief of RECT Progress, which created ALFheim Online.

His origins beyond his school years were unknown, but he was in the same school as Akihiko Kayaba, whom he considered his rival. He was selected by Asuna's father to marry Asuna, and was adopted into the family. When SAO was cleared by Kirito, he rerouted and trapped three hundred SAO Players, including Asuna, within ALFheim Online, using them as test subjects in researching the ability to controlling and manipulating a person's heart and Soul. It was in ALO where he took on the name 'Oberon'.

He was first seen in Asuna's hospital room, where he taunts Kazuto about marrying Asuna before leaving. In ALO, he trapped Asuna in a giant bird cage, giving her the name 'Titania', as she would be his wife. However, Asuna now saw Sugou's true colors, and refused to marry him, despite knowing she could not escape. Oberon often visited her, taunting and harassing her, though he slipped out the fact that Kirito was alive, giving Asuna hope.

When Kirito and Yui arrived to save Asuna, Oberon used his administrator privileges to pin Kirito down, shackled Asuna and started sexually assaulting her in front of the helpless Kirito. However, thanks to Akihiko Kayaba, Kirito used his administrator ID to nullify Oberon's superiority, producing the weapon Excalibur for the helpless Oberon, setting the Pain Absorber to zero, and effortlessly dissected and defeated Oberon.

In the real world, Sugou attempted to attack Kazuto in the hospital parking lot with a knife. However, due to the pain he had felt in their previous battle, plus the fogginess in his glasses, Kazuto turned the tables, and defeated him, though sparring his life. Sugou was arrested, interrogated, and sent to prison, where he spent for the year afterwards…

* * *

**Author: Well, that's all the characters that have a big impact to the story.**

**Sora: What about Xemnas and the rest of Organization XIII?**

**Author: They all play their part, but they aren't as affected as the thirteen said above, maybe with the exception of Axel and Naminé, but that's about it.**

**Asuna: So are you gonna explain about what happened after that year, when Sora slept and everything after Oberon's defeat?**

**Author: I was getting to that!**

* * *

_**In dedication to my Fanfiction buddy, Kingdom Cure…**_

**(Shadow the Hedgehog and Xion appear out of nowhere)**

**Shadow: Here's your world again.**

**Xion: Yeah, but this isn't my author's studio.**

**Author: Xion! Shadow! What are you doing here?**

**Xion: My author sent me to a different world, so Shadow was bringing me back so I can beat up my author!**

**Author: Oooh, you mean 'Kingdom Cure'. Sorry, but she's several blocks away from here. If you leave my place, and go down the road for four blocks, take a right, then a left, you should meet her.**

**Xion: Thanks! By the way, are you gonna do anything with me in your stories?**

**Author: We'll see what happens in the future. Just don't hurt 'Kingdom Cure' too badly, or I might change my mind.**

**Xion: (sigh) I can't guarantee that I wouldn't put her to the brink of death, but I'll do what I can. Thanks for the ride, Shadow. I'd better get moving!**

**(Xion races out of the station. Shadow uses Chaos Control to teleport away.)**

**Author: Say hi to 'Kingdom Cure' for me!**

* * *

**Author: Ahem! Where was I?**

**Kirito: You were about to give a brief story on the 'Sword Art Kingdom' series, involving both stories so far.**

**Author: That's right. This is all so others, who haven't actually read the full story, can get the broad picture as to what happens in both 'Sword Art Kingdom' and 'Sword Art Kingdom II: Dimensional Bonds'. So without further ado, let's get on with it!**

* * *

**Sword Art Kingdom I**

The story starts with DiZ telling Roxas in the digital Twilight Town to head to the mansion to rejoin with Sora. Ansem-Riku then wonders about a side project that DiZ had been creating, which was to ask for help in another world, mainly the virtual world of 'New ALFheim Online'.

In the other dimension, Kirito and Asuna conversed about a new and unusual quest that had popped up in Aincrad. They decided to work together to take it on, so using their old 'Sword Art Online' avatars (Author note: I know in the anime/manga, they don't get them back in the New ALFheim, so let's just say for the record the two recreated their original characters again a year later), they took on the quest, with Yui at their side.

They entered into the dungeon where the quest was at, and made it to the boss room, taking on the digital version of the 'Guard Armor' Heartless. After defeating it, they activated a program which sent the three of them into a digital wormhole. As it turns out, this quest was placed by DiZ, and the program sent them to his dimension in Twilight Town.

Both Kirito and Asuna entered their own hearts, where they took on a trial that would unlock a new power within them. When they woke up, the two of them and Yui found themselves inside a computer room in the bottom level of a mansion. There, they discovered where they were, and saw they couldn't go back. As they looked around the mansion, they encountered Heartless, and learned that through completing the trial, Kirito and Asuna could now wield mystical weapons called 'Keyblades'. Kirito and Asuna produced their new weapons, Kirito's being called the Oblivion, and Asuna's being the Oathkeeper. With great skills, they defeated the Heartless attack.

After this encounter, they discovered the newly awakened Donald and Goofy, and then they met Sora afterwards. They left the mansion together, and looked around Twilight Town, meeting new people, and discovering where King Mickey was at.

They raced to the train station, where they encountered a swarm of Nobodies, which almost defeated the five heroes had it not been for Mickey's arrival. He gave them a small pouch before leaving them. Kirito and Asuna decided that the only way to figure out what was going on with them was to join Donald, Goofy and Sora on their journey to find their friends.

The heroes departed on a magical train, arriving at the Mysterious Tower, where they met Pete, Maleficent's underling. Afterwards, the heroes went to the top of the tower, where they met Yen Sid, Mickey's teacher. He tells Kirito, Asuna and Yui about DiZ, and his reasons for bringing the trio to his dimension. Afterwards, he explains to the entire group about the mission they were given, along with the enemies they would encounter, such as the Heartless, Nobodies and Organization XIII.

After understanding their mission, the trio were given new garments that would give them powers in their journey. It was at this point that Yui discovered she had data on all the Heartless, Nobodies, Keyblades, and many other things in her, which was uploaded thanks to DiZ when sending the trio through the digital portal. Afterwards, Kirito, Asuna and Yui were introduced to the Gummi ship, and the trio, now understanding their reason for being in the dimension, decided to aid Sora and his friends on his journey.

They went to several worlds, encountering old and new friends of Sora. They were also introduced to the members of Organization XIII, who hinted they had a new member in their also kept meeting Pete, and finally met Maleficent, whom Sora thought was gone. With each world they went to, they unlocked special gates that allowed them to go further and towards new worlds. Such worlds were Hollow Bastion, Olympus Coliseum, Disney Castle, and many others.

Meanwhile, Naminé, who helped restore Sora, Donald and Goofy's memories, called upon Leafa and Recon from ALFheim Online. She explained that DiZ believed Leafa had the gift of wielding the Keyblade. Leafa dove into her heart and unlocked the power to do so. They aided Naminé in the attempt to save Kairi, but Axel, an Organization member, took her instead, with Pluto at their side. Since then, Leafa and Recon trained themselves to be strong enough to help their friends.

After some time, Kirito, Asuna and Yui reunited with Leafa and Recon in Twilight Town, and the two Sylph Warriors were introduced to Sora, Donald and Goofy. They also discovered the new member of Organization XIII; Sugou's Nobody, Gouxus, who came into being **(Author: Well, Nobodies don't have beings, but you know what I mean)** a week before Kirito and Asuna came to the new dimension, in order to fulfill the mission of the Organization to control Kingdom Hearts.

After Naminé explained he was the main reason the heroes came to help Sora and his friends, the five heroes from the other dimension had an even bigger goal to get to. It was after this that Sora discovered that Kairi was taken by Organization XIII, which drove him even further to finding and defeating the Organization.

After a couple worlds more, the heroes returned to Hollow Bastion, where Leafa and Recon now resided in. After a reunion with Mickey, they learned from him that the previous enemy Sora, Donald and Goofy fought, Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, was not actually the real Ansem, but was a Heartless using his name, and that the Nobody created with the Heartless Ansem was the leader of Organization XIII.

The Organization sent a swarm of Heartless onto Hollow Bastion. Sora, Kirito, and Asuna's crew joining forces with Leafa, Recon, Mickey, and many other fighters residing in Hollow Bastion to take down the swarm, which also resulted in defeating one of the Organization members, Demyx **(Author: His somebody later appears in the real world in Kirito and Asuna's world, alongside the somebody of Larxene.)**.

It was after fighting off three thousand Heartless did Axel, who became a traitor to the Organization, slip out the true objective of the Organization; To have the Keyblade wielders destroy as many Heartless as possible. The Keyblade releases the hearts, which the Organization collects to form Kingdom Hearts. Though this troubled the heroes, they decided to revisit worlds in order to find clues on the Organization's stronghold.

Sora, Asuna, Kirito, Donald, Goofy and Yui visited a few more worlds, during which they defeated another member of the Organization, Xaldin, they discovered that Gouxus had done the unthinkable; He teleported the floating castle of Aincrad into Sora's dimension. The heroes went to work undoing this before the Heartless could do anything to it, aided by friends of Kirito's and Asuna's.

While Sora, Donald, Goofy and two of Kirito's friends went to take down the source that kept Aincrad in Sora's dimension, Kirito and Asuna were reunited with Heathcliff, who challenged them to a duel once more. Kirito and Asuna defeated him, and Heathcliff shed off his avatar, revealing his real identity as Akihiko Kayaba.

Kayaba then starts to tell the truth; He let Kirito defeat him long ago when he saw how his will overcame the system. He also knew they would reboot Aincrad after its' destruction, in which Kayaba had hid himself and some data he saved within the floating castle. What he had saved was actually the data of all the defeated Players when they were trapped in SAO. Kayaba believed that Sora's dimension could have the potential to revive them again. Kirito and Asuna accepted the offer, and added Kayaba to the list of people to be revived again. They stored the data into an orb called 'Aincrad's Soul', and gained the 'Elucidator' and 'Lambent Light' Keyblades.

They reunited with Sora's crew, with Leafa and Recon there as well, who knew how do return Aincrad back thanks to Axel. They succeeded in returning Aincrad back to the virtual world, and the heroes escaped the place before it disappeared, knowing that they had to still take care of Organization XIII.

After a couple more worlds, Kirito finally found the solution to revive the Players; using Tron's world inside the computer, they could use its' technology to bring the Players back to life in reality. The plan succeeded when Tron defeated the MCP, and took control of the system, reviving the near four thousand Players, who currently live in the worlds of Hollow Bastion and Twilight Town.

After the events of Kirito fighting against Sephiroth, Leafa and Recon, along with Naminé and Riku, discovered where the Organization's stronghold was, and how to get there. They left clues for Sora, Asuna and Kirito's group to follow, along with Mickey, towards the World That Never Was, the world where Organization XIII's stronghold was at. It was also here, as Mickey pointed out, that Ansem the Wise, the real Ansem, was at. It was through this that Axel sacrificed himself to save Sora, Leafa and the others from a swarm of Nobodies.

Arriving into the dark world, Leafa went on ahead to help save Kairi, while the others endured their own trouble; Kirito, Asuna and Sora ended up fighting an opponent each within their hearts; Sora fought Roxas, Kirito fought his dark self, and Asuna fought an armored Aqua, who claimed she had a connection with Asuna. After each hero defeated their opponent, they progressed onward.

Meanwhile, Naminé and Leafa rescued Kairi and Pluto, and Riku and Recon aided them in time to fight off one of the Organization members, Saïx. At this point, the five heroes, along with Mickey, arrived inside the stronghold. After Mickey separated from the others, the crew dove further into the stronghold, meeting up with Xigbar, the second member of Organization XIII, and defeated him. They were also reunited with Kairi, Leafa, Recon and Riku, who Sora didn't recognize at first since he looked like Heartless Ansem, but Kairi helped him. At this point, Mickey was reunited with Ansem the Wise, who intended to store Kingdom Hearts moon into data using a machine, so as to prevent Xemnas, the leader of the Organization, from having it.

The crew started taking out members of the Organization, such as Luxord and Saïx, and then Gouxus, who revealed how he came to be there to the heroes. It was through the battle with Gouxus that Leafa gained her new signature Keyblade, Sylphwing.

Ansem the Wise's machine failed to store Kingdom Hearts moon, and as a result, it exploded, making Ansem disappear, and reverting Riku back to his normal look again. However, Ansem was successful in damaging Kingdom Hearts moon, but it created thousands of Heartless in response, to which Maleficent and Pete, who were in the castle, fended off for the heroes while they fought Xemnas.

They arrived at the top of the castle, where Xemnas was at. Sora first fought him on his own. Then, when Xemnas attempted to retreat into the damaged Kingdom Hearts moon, Sora, Kirito, Asuna, Riku, Donald, Goofy, Leafa and Yui followed him and defeated him in there. He disappeared, thought to be defeated.

Thanks to Naminé, a black portal opened up for the heroes, save for Kirito, Asuna, Sora and Riku. The portal closed on the four, and they saw Xemnas in a dragon form, ready to continue fighting. The four pursued on vehicles, and they worked together to destroy the Dragon Xemnas. The group reappeared in another area, in front of Xemnas, who had reached his Final form. After a difficult battle, Kirito, Asuna and Riku combined their powers into Sora's Keyblade, giving him the power to finish off Xemnas for good.

After the battle, the four arrived in the Realm of Darkness, along the shores of the Dark Margin. After a moment of being there, a bottle sent by Kairi before their journey appeared before them, with a letter inside. After reading it, the Door to Light appeared in front of the four, and they escaped the Realm of Darkness, appearing in Sora's world, the Destiny Islands. The other members of their team were there as well, and they were reunited once again.

After they were done celebrating, Kirito, Asuna and their friends from their dimension parted ways with Sora and his friends at Twilight Town before using the program Ansem left for them before he disappeared, allowing them to return home once again. Apart from still being able to wield the Keyblade, everything for Kirito, Asuna, Leafa, Recon and Yui seemed to be back to normal. However, a month later, they got a message with Mickey's emblem on Kirito's laptop, to which they responded on returning back to Sora's dimension once again.

In the Blank Point, it featured the heroes preparation before departing to Sora's dimension, and the conversation between Ansem the Wise and Aqua, who revealed she knew Aqua when she was just a baby.

* * *

**Sword Art Kingdom II: Dimensional Bonds**

The story starts with a mysterious cloaked figure reviving an unconscious Vanitas. He then later seen with Maleficent and Pete, striking a deal with them to aid in his quest to find the doorway to Kingdom Hearts in his dimension, which was the same dimension Kirito and Asuna are from, the prize being that both he and Maleficent would rule each of their dimensions.

Meanwhile, Kirito, Asuna, Leafa, Recon and Yui return to Sora's dimension, where they were reunited with Sora and the rest of the gang, including Kayaba, who had become the chief scientist of Disney Castle. They went there to celebrate the victory against Organization XIII, but after a playful Struggle tournament, new monsters called Unversed appeared in Disney Castle, disrupting the party. Vanitas soon introduced himself to the crew, taunting the group that indicated Kirito's and Asuna's dimension was in danger. After that, he disappeared into a black portal.

Reacting to their hearts, Sora, Asuna, Kirito, Leafa, Mickey and Riku's Keyblades activated, producing a gateway that sent the entire world of Disney Castle into the other dimension. When they arrived, they discovered that Yui's body and clothing had changed, allowing her the ability to fight alongside the others. And so, Sora, Asuna, Kirito, Donald, Goofy and Yui set out on the Gummi ship to find new worlds.

Soon after leaving, they crash-landed in the world of Yusnaan, where they met many new people whom they would become friends with, and Sora, Asuna and Kirito gained a brand new power; The Soul Drive. The new power is similar to their Drive Forms, but instead of the standard forms like Valor, Wisdom and others, they use the power of the Soul Drive orbs they are given by people they share a close bond with, utilizing the same attacks as the souls they have been given. With this power, the group set out to save the worlds from the Heartless and Unversed.

They journeyed to many worlds, where Maleficent, Pete and Vanitas seem to have their sights set on special items called the 'Keys of Darkness', orbs of dark emotions that are within special individuals, including Asuna herself. Along with this, Vanitas continuously targeted Asuna, as she was a target he was going for in his previous life before he went unconscious. This was due to the mysterious connection between her and Aqua.

It was later on in their journey that they discovered Kirito and Asuna's real life world. They were reunited with their friends from 'New ALFheim Online', along with Asuna's father, Shouzou. In the hospital where Kazuto, Asuna, Suguha and Shinichi's bodies were at, the team made a shocking discovery; Asuna was actually adopted into the Yuuki family. Not only that, but based on Shouzou's story, she came from another world. Shouzou returned Asuna the white Wayfinder that came with her as a baby. After a mental conflict, Asuna decided that she wouldn't let this tear her from her family, and to still consider the people who raised her as her family. Her Wayfinder would be considered her new pendant, alongside Kirito's Elucidator pendant and Sora's crown pendant.

Returning back to Yusnaan, where Leafa, Recon, Riku and Kairi were at, the discovered that Leafa was also capable of using the Soul Drive, but she had it inside of her all along, not like Sora, Asuna and Kirito, who were granted its' power. This mystery would soon reveal in due time.

The team continued to go to many worlds, following the trail of Vanitas, Maleficent and Pete, along with the mystery of the Keys of Darkness. It wasn't until back in Yusnaan, during a tournament that the trio of villains interrupted to steal two Keys of Darkness from Snow and Erza Scarlet did they discover what they were for; They could unlock the pathway to Kingdom Hearts. Vanitas' mask also broke, revealing his face underneath.

This was discovered by Lightning and Hope, who learned it from a mysterious Keyblade Master named Gretinal, who also told them how to prevent the Heartless and Unversed from overtaking worlds; By sealing each world's Keyhole of Bond. Each one reveals itself when certain individuals from each world form a special bond. With this knowledge, the six heroes departed once again to each world, sealing the Keyholes of Bond in each world.

Through all the worlds they visited, the heroes understood the different forms of bonds made between people, and each one revealed their individual Keyhole of Bond, sealing the Heartless and Unversed from each world.

After achieving in gaining one of the Keys of Darkness, they were called upon by Keyblade Master Gretinal in her world, the Realm of Arrival. Along with them were King Mickey, Leafa and Kairi. There, they met Gretinal herself, along with her three students; Cypress, Jackson and Latias. Gretinal then told the six heroes, Mickey, Leafa and Kairi all about the history of the Keyblade War that happened in her dimension, along with the origins of the Keys of Darkness, and the ones who created them known as the Keyblade Protectors. She also revealed the identity of the cloaked figure that Maleficent, Vanitas and Pete were in league with; Sugou's Heartless, Oberon.

She then further revealed the truths of how Kirito, Asuna and Leafa were able to wield Keyblades. For Asuna, Gretinal revealed her connection to Aqua; She is Asuna's older sister, but was sent to this dimension thanks to a rift between the two dimensions.

For Kirito, he had the capability of using the Keyblade to begin with, but he had a piece of Terra's soul that broke off thanks to Xehanort possessing Terra's body. Thus, it was through this that when he and Asuna traveled to Sora's dimension the first time, it activated both of their powers to use the Keyblade.

For Leafa, she was one of the descendants of the Keyblade Protectors. Not only that, but her ancestor possessed an incredible power of 'bonding', which explained Leafa's innate ability to use the Soul Drive, and many other things that happened.

After this talk, Vanitas appeared, revealing he knew of Asuna's connection to Aqua all along, which was why he hunted her down before. After a fight against Vanitas, Asuna decided to keep searching for Aqua, now fully aware of what she is to her, and that she would believe they would know each other once they do. This gave birth to Asuna's unique Keyblade, Sisterly Tides.

After sealing the Keyholes of Bonds from many worlds, and obtaining another Key of Darkness, the team arrived at Kirito and Asuna's world again, who's Keyhole had not been found by their friends yet. Reuniting with a few more friends that joined the group at the hospital, Vanitas arrived, unleashing his full strength against Sora, Asuna and Kirito, along with his friends. Although he fought his hardest, he was defeated by the trio in the end.

Shortly after, Oberon destroyed Vanitas and took his powers, revealing that Vanitas was not the real one, but a puppet made by Xehanort. He, Maleficent and Pete took the four SAO/ALO fighter's bodies, escaping to their home base, Desolate Castle. Sora, Asuna, Kirito, Riku, Kairi, Leafa, Recon, Donald, Goofy, Yui, Mickey and Kayaba all pursued them through a portal Kayaba designed, allowing them to reach Desolate Castle.

After reaching the interior of the castle, they discovered that their memories of Vanitas had started to grow fuzzy, and they couldn't remember him. This led to the conclusion of what Oberon might be after; to make others forget the memories of people closest to them. At the same time, Oberon betrayed Pete and Maleficent, sending them back to their dimension again.

Upon arriving in the throne room of the castle, where Oberon was at, they found out what he did to Kazuto, Asuna, Suguha and Shinichi's bodies; Oberon placed darkness into each body, making them resemble the darkness of Kirito, Asuna, Leafa and Recon. The four engaged in a battle against their darkened bodies, dubbed the Dark Puppets. However, they were unwilling to damage their own bodies, so they got easily defeated.

The four were placed in a machine that was suppose to wipe their existence from everyone's memory, including the memories of the four had with each other. It almost succeeded, but Asuna's Wayfinder glowed brightly, bringing her mind to where Aqua was at in the Dark Margin. Giving her words of advice and a new Soul Drive, Aqua Soul, Asuna called out to the other three, bringing them back to their senses and returning back to reality.

The four engaged in combat with their dark selves once again, now fighting back with all they had. In the midst of this, Recon discovered he had become a Keyblade wielder thanks to Leafa and her powers of bonding. The four opened their dark selves to the light, and returned them back to their hearts once again.

The victory was short lived as Oberon took the two Keys of Darkness the team had, and escaped into the End of the World. With the appearance of Gretinal joining the group, the thirteen heroes raced onward, chasing after Oberon into the End of the World.

After pursuing Oberon deep into the world, they finally reached him at the wall of darkness that blocked the path forward to Kingdom Hearts. Sora, Asuna and Kirito engaged Oberon in a tough battle, and defeated him. However, the Keys of Darkness had already unsealed the wall of darkness. However, the built up energy of negative emotions and darkness consumed Oberon and the rest of the End of the World, transforming him into a giant, demonic-like form known as Unversed-Heartless Oberon. Oberon then sent a huge army of Heartless and Unversed at the heroes, determined to snuff out any light in the dimension.

Using the powers of the Keyholes of Bonds, the heroes called upon all their friends from all the worlds they visited, and they fought against the incredibly large army Oberon sent. All of them helped the heroes reach Oberon, and using the Chaos Emeralds from Sonic's world, Sora, Asuna and Kirito entered their Super forms, and took on Oberon.

However, Gretinal warned the remaining heroes that Oberon was being fed by the energy from the Realm of Darkness, making him invincible. They reached the Door to Darkness, where they needed to seal the door from the inside and out in order to stop the flow of energy from being fed to Oberon. At first, Mickey and Kayaba offered to do it, but Recon intruded, insisting on doing the task himself. Leafa downright refused at first, but after hearing her boyfriend's words, and seeing her friends, she let him do it. Together, Leafa and Recon sealed the Door to Darkness, with Recon trapped within.

With the power cut off, Sora, Asuna and Kirito were now able to take down Oberon, who was not gonna give up without a fight. In the end, the trio called upon the light of everyone's heart, giving them the power to unleash their strongest Cross Burst attack, Sword Art Kingdom. With it, they finally defeated Oberon.

With Oberon gone, all the worlds returned to normal, and everyone returned to their respective worlds. The heroes ended up back in Kirito and Asuna's world again, where Kirito, Asuna and Leafa sealed the last Keyhole of Bond, the Keyhole of Love. Afterwards, they said their goodbyes to Sora, Donald, Goofy, Kayaba and the rest of the people from Sora's dimension as they returned to Disney Castle. Sora, Riku, Mickey, Kirito, Asuna and Leafa unlocked the gateway between the dimensions again, and sent the world of Disney Castle back to its' rightful place.

But the journey was far from over, as Gretinal feared that Xehanort might return once again, and the battles with Gouxus and Oberon might unleash a chain of events to come. Therefore, she decided it was time to test Kirito, Asuna and Leafa's abilities as Keyblade wielders, to see if they have what it takes to take on the darkness ahead, and to become Keyblade Masters by putting them through the Mark of Mastery. This moment will happen one month after the events of 'Sword Art Kingdom II'.

* * *

**Author: I hope this will clear things up for all new story readers, or readers who had a hard time following the story.**

**Kirito: Truth be told, I was a bit confused here and there, but now, I can see the broad picture.**

**Sora: Now while Riku and I take our Mark of Mastery in our dimension, you guys and Leafa will take your's in your dimension.**

**Asuna: I just wish I knew what was gonna happen next in that trial.**

**Author: Well, for all the readers out there, I will reveal worlds for which the heroes will take part in, or the names of Anime or video games that will be made into worlds. I think after the hints from the ending of 'Sword Art Kingdom II: Dimensional Bonds', that you figured out where they start.**

**Kirito: It's Twilight Town.**

**Author: That's right, and the group of people for which will be residence there will be…**

**Puella Magi Madoka Magica**

**Asuna: I can't wait to see what will happen in 'Sword Art Kingdom: Falling Fantasy'!**

**Sora: Me, too!**

**Kirito: You won't be in it! At least, not in most of it.**

**Author: Let's get through all the episodes of 'Sword Art Kingdom: Final Mix', alright? So readers, please leave a review, tell your friends, and be patient for the next episode!**


	2. Leafa & Axel! Fiery Wind Connection!

**Time for adding some side stories. For the record, the first two aren't going to be in chronological order. Excluding the Detailed Bio, there are sixteen episodes in the Final Mix, and this is Ep. 2. However, since I was anxious about this one, and since I finished it before Ep. 1, I decided to post this now. Some of this is from Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix scenes. Here it is, the episode of close bonds between Fire and Wind. (Note that Sora and Leafa are dimensional counterparts)**

* * *

_(I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Sword Art Online. All I do is form my imagination from both stories, and share it with the world!)_

(_Axel speaking_) _Ever since Roxas left the Organization, I had been hoping to find a way to bring him back. When Organization XIII discovered where he was, I immediately volunteered to bring him back. Course, they told me that he had no memory of his past, so they wanted him to remember who he was again. Since I was his closest friend, I knew I could coax some memories out of him. I mean, how many times did I ask him to 'get it memorized'?_

_When I discovered him, it was just as they said; Roxas was as clueless as he was when he first entered the Organization. I tried to get him to come around, but that guy, DiZ, intruded on our conversation, and I had to flee. I could've felt remorse for the lost of my friend's memories. Course, I'm a Nobody; I can't feel remorse. Got it memorized?_

_Although, I was pretty dang close when the Organization told me to eliminate Roxas so he wouldn't return to Sora. At first, I refused, but when they warned me that if I didn't, I would turn into a Dusk, I had no choice. Guess that's how it is, then._

_I tried to eliminate him, but Roxas gained enough of his memories to know how to fight me for real. I was beaten from this, and had to retreat. However, I was glad to see my closest friend back to normal. Even so, he is with Sora, again. I wish he was still around, though. I wanted to see him again. I'll try to find a way to reach him, no matter what._

_Although, about a week ago, Organization XIII did something that was pretty wild; they brought someone from another dimension to aid in the fight against one another. The Organization brought a new member to our ranks, a guy by the name of Gouxus. He was pretty unusual, especially since he remembered all of his past, unlike any other Nobody. He was brought to find a way to control the hearts, once Kingdom Hearts was finally complete. Looks like our ambitions have grown more than just wanting hearts, now._

_I went to meet with Naminé shortly after my fight with Roxas, wanting to know more about where I can find him again. However, I found out from her, and from Riku, that DiZ also brought people from another dimension; two in fact, and both were Keyblade wielders. Their names were Kirito and Asuna. They were to join Sora in his quest to stop Organization XIII. Well, I guess even I had to agree; things were getting out of hand…_

* * *

**After Sora, Kirito, Asuna and the rest of the crew left Twilight Town on the train…**

Axel, Naminé and Riku-Ansem were up at the Sunset Terrace. Riku was looking down at Naminé, who was sitting on a bench, looking at her drawing book. Axel walked over to the wooden fence, leaning on it as he watched the heroes leave.

"Guess that's that." Axel stated, watching the train vanish in a flash of light, "Still, it's wild. Two more people from a different dimension also wield the Keyblade. Makes ya wonder how this will change the Organization's plans. Course, they've also added a new member to their ranks as well, and he's connected with those newcomers. It's hard to keep up with all this."

After a pause, Riku spoke up. "Let's go." he told the two Nobodies. "Go where?" Axel asked turning to Riku, "It's not like we have homes to return to. We don't exist, remember?" "Yes, it's true." Naminé agreed, "We may not have homes. But there IS someplace I want to go. And…someone I want to see." "Same here." Axel agreed.

There was another pause, then Axel looked to Riku. "So, you think you might let us go?" he asked, "I know you're here to get rid of us, but…" "DiZ? Wants to get rid of me?" Naminé asked, looking at Riku.

"Go." Riku told them. "You sure about this?" Axel asked. "I owe you both." Riku told them. "For what?" Naminé asked him. "Castle Oblivion. You helped us." Riku answered her. "Heh. You don't have to tell me twice." Axel chuckled, raising a hand up, producing a black portal. Axel watched as Riku and Naminé looked at one another, then Naminé bowed her head to him. "Thank you." she thanked him, getting off the bench and hurrying over to Axel's side.

Just as she stood next to him, Naminé turned to Riku. "There is one more thing I also need to do." she told him, "And…I think I need your help with it." "What's that?" Riku questioned. "It about those two Keyblade wielders DiZ brought over." Naminé explained, "Actually, there's suppose to be one more." "Another one?" Axel asked. "Yes." Naminé answered, "And this person has a strong connection with the two, especially the boy, Kirito. I believe she could help us."

Riku looked to Naminé for a second, then he nodded in confirmation. "Then let me swing you by the mansion." Axel told her, "Shouldn't be a problem to get the third wheel over here. We just use the same program that got those other two over here." Naminé nodded in agreement. "So what's this person's name?" Axel asked. "She has two different names." Naminé answered, "However, in the online world, her name is…Leafa." "I see." Axel understood, "Leafa. I got it memorized."

Naminé turned and left through the dark portal. Axel watched her leave, then walked through the portal himself, leaving Riku to watch them go.

* * *

_Soon after, I saw Sora and those other two in Hollow Bastion. Like Roxas, something stirred in me as I saw him. Was it because Roxas was his Nobody? Apparently, Xemnas and the rest of the Organization thought so, and they were trying to bring out Roxas from Sora. No dice._

_A few days later, I heard that Naminé brought that girl, Leafa over from the other side, along with some kid. I went to spy on her while she was in Twilight Town, and she is pretty unusual. She also became a Keyblade wielder, and from what I could hear, she was Kirito's sister. Couldn't see the family resemblance between those two guys._

_It's strange, but although I had never even met her before, she somehow gives off a similar vibe as Sora and Roxas. I assumed this was just some wild coincidence. How can a random person like this girl give off the same…feeling, like them? Maybe it's a different dimension thing._

_Some time after, I had heard of a new set of orders, ones involving Sora's close friend, Kairi. They said they were gonna kidnap her so as to feed Sora's rage so he can release more hearts for Kingdom Hearts. I had different plans; I wanted Kairi so I could see Roxas again. However, I knew Riku would warn Naminé of this situation, and that also mean that girl, Leafa, would come in._

_I went to pick Kairi up, along with a bunch of Dusks I brought along. I might have been a little to front to her, but I wanted to see Roxas that badly. Then Leafa showed up, with that boy who came with her, Recon. They led Kairi to safety with Riku as I had to fight Leafa and Recon instead. Those two were a bit of a hassle, I'll give them that…_

* * *

**After Axel fought Leafa &amp; Recon**

Axel walked through the Corridor of Darkness, following the path where Kairi might be at. He rubbed his right shoulder, feeling the pain from his battle with the two. "Gotta hand it to them; they are a couple of tough fighters." Axel muttered, "Even so, I can't let them keep Roxas away from me. I need Kairi to help me reach out to him."

Axel then thought of the fight he just endured, seeing Leafa's face, and the expression she shown. It was similar to the way Roxas looked when in a tough battle. Axel shook his head of the thought. "Just who is that girl? And why does she remind me of Roxas?" Axel asked himself.

* * *

_I found Kairi, along with a dog and three kids who were from Twilight Town. They tried to stop me, but I grabbed Kairi and left. As I left, Leafa suddenly appeared, and she entered the Corridor of Darkness, along with that dog. She wasn't gonna give up without a fight. Another quality she and Roxas had._

* * *

**Leafa attempted to save Kairi from Axel**

"Listen," Leafa growled, "I don't know how Kairi is gonna find this Roxas character, but if you want to find him, go look for him yourself!" She took a charge at Axel, ready to circle around him and to hit him from behind, so as not to hurt Kairi. Axel, however, had other idea. He waved his hand in front of him, and a black portal opened up in front of him, blocking Leafa's path. Leafa gasped, and tried to stop, but she stumbled and fell through the portal. The portal closed up, leaving Axel, Kairi and Pluto left in the Corridor of Darkness.

"Now, come Kairi." Axel said, yanking her hand as he opened up another portal, "Time you help me find Roxas again." Kairi struggled as she was dragged in, Pluto bounding from behind.

As he did so, he couldn't help but hear Leafa's outburst from a distance, being unable to stop him. For some reason, it made him feel hurt, deep inside. Why would it? He doesn't have a heart. Then again, Roxas made him feel the same as well. Was there a connection between Roxas and Leafa? Or was it a connection between Sora and Leafa? He wasn't sure.

"Will you let go of me already?!" Kairi demanded. Pluto chomped on Axel's leg, finally making Axel lose his grip on Kairi, who backed away from him. Axel felt the chomp marks on his leg, turning to Kairi with Pluto in front of her. "It's bad enough I had to get hurt from Leafa, but now I get bitten?!" Axel shouted, "Even though I don't have a heart, I'm really getting ticked off!"

Kairi and Axel glared at one another, then Axel sighed, "Whatever. You can walk on your own, but keep close. I don't want you to get lost here." Kairi looked puzzled as Axel turned and walked through the darkness. Kairi looked down at Pluto, and the two followed Axel.

For a while, neither one talked, then Axel started, "Guess you really are a Princess of Light. Most people would turn into Heartless if they stayed in this place." "And what about you?" Kairi asked. "Oh, it's thanks to this coat." Axel responded, picking at his black coat, "If I didn't have it on, I might disappear. I'm a Nobody, after all. We aren't even suppose to exist. But even so, there is one thing I want to do…"

"You said you were looking for someone named Roxas?" Kairi remembered, "Actually, I think I remember that name." Axel looked to her, surprised. "You do?" he asked. "Yeah, but it was only for a few seconds." Kairi replied, "But for some reason, when he spoke to me, I started to remember Sora. Why is that?"

"Roxas is Sora's Nobody." Axel answered, surprising Kairi, "During the time I was with him, he use to have dreams that made him see Sora's memories." "But what IS a Nobody?" Kairi asked. "Nobodies are the shells of their former selves. We don't have hearts, so we can't feel." Axel explained, "Although, we do have memories of what it was like to have a heart, so we try to act like we have one. Still, all we are doing is deceiving ourselves. Even so, Roxas was someone who somehow made me feel like I had one. The same goes for Sora. And now, for some odd reason, that girl, Leafa, is even giving me that same sort of feeling. I wonder why that is? Heh. Guess it doesn't really matter." "No…I guess it doesn't." Kairi agreed, but she felt sympathetic for Axel.

Just then, Axel got hit to the side by something, causing him to fly away from Kairi. "Axel!" cried Kairi, watching him fall to the ground. Then two Berserker Nobodies appeared, grabbing each of Kairi's arms, restraining her. Axel got to his feet again, moaning. Saïx was standing there, his claymore in position.

"I cannot let you interfere, Axel. Your memories of your 'friend' have become a nuisance to us." he told the fallen fighter, "As of right now, you have turned traitor on the Organization. And you shall be dealt as such." Axel growled as he backed away from Saïx. He knew he wouldn't be able to win against him.

"Kairi, don't listen to this man." Saïx told her, "His only intention is to turn Sora into a Heartless." "That's a lie!" Kairi shouted, looking at Axel, "You weren't intending to do that, were you?" Axel paused as he looked at her with an expression of sympathy. "Sorry, Kairi." he said, opening up a portal and disappearing into it. Kairi watched him leave, trying to release herself from the Nobodies holding onto her.

* * *

_I had no choice but to flee. Saïx was too powerful, and as for what he was saying? It was partly true. I wanted to see Roxas so bad, that I might have done something like that. I couldn't tell what to do. I didn't know what was right or wrong, anymore. I wanted to see Roxas so much, but after looking at Kairi, I feel like I shouldn't do it. 'I feel'. Why am I expressing that? I don't have a heart, right? I had that memorized ever since I became a Nobody._

_I decided to lay low, hide away from the Organization. I mainly spent my time, working with Naminé. She and Riku seem to want to protect Sora, along with Kirito, Asuna and Leafa. I mainly wanted to know why I had a reaction to Leafa._

_I guess, the next big thing that happened was that Heartless siege that the Organization brought down upon Hollow Bastion. The main goal behind that was to get the Keyblade wielders to slay as many Heartless as possible with their Keyblades. The plan worked to perfection. Those four Keyblade wielders, along with their king of theirs, took out the Heartless, releasing a ton of hearts for the Organization. And since they counted me as a traitor, I don't think they were gonna share Kingdom Hearts with me. So what did I do? I decided to go and chat with Sora's little friends._

_The chat was short lived. I did get to meet them, and Leafa was there, too. She wasn't too pleased to see me after what happened in Twilight Town. She had gotten stronger, I'll give her that. I wanted to apologize about Kairi, but Saïx showed up before I could speak, and I had to flee._

_I spent a little while hiding, thinking about my next plan. I couldn't go back to the Organization. I wasn't planning to hide from them forever. So, once the battle at Hollow Bastion was done, I went back to meet with Leafa and Recon again. They may hate me, but I had to at least talk to them…_

* * *

**Shortly after Sora, Asuna and Kirito's team left Hollow Bastion**

Leafa and Recon were taking down a few straggling Heartless that were attacking the town. Recon placed his dagger away and turned to Leafa, who was sort of depressed. She had been holding back a bit against the Heartless since the war.

"You okay, Leafa?" Recon asked. "I'm not sure." Leafa replied, shaking her head, "Since we found out that the Organization WANTS us to destroy the Heartless with our Keyblades, I can't help but feel like we're doing something wrong here. I know the Heartless are doing horrible things, but we'll end up helping the Organization, instead."

"Seems like a no-win situation, doesn't it?" Axel's voice spoke up. The two were startled, and turned to see Axel appear out of a black portal. "You again?!" Recon gasped. "Axel, you…!" Leafa started, ready to fight him. "Relax. I'm not picking a fight with you." Axel stopped her, "The Organization considers me a traitor, so I'm no longer part of their group."

"Then why come back here?" Leafa demanded, "You're no friend of ours!" "That's true. You guys don't like me that much." Axel agreed, "That being said, I am trying to help you guys out." "How are you doing that?" Recon asked, confused. "Who was the one who hinted you on Organization XIII's goal before?" Axel asked. Leafa and Recon looked to one another. It was Axel who said that.

"But what about Kairi?" Leafa asked, "You were the one who kidnapped her." "I did, but Saïx took her away from me before I could do anything with her." "You said you were using her to find Roxas." Leafa recalled, "But, Roxas is already reunited with Sora. But you knew that, didn't you?"

"Ah, looks like someone's got that memorized." Axel stated, "You're right. Sora and Roxas are one now. I was hoping to see him again using Kairi. At first, I was hoping to turn Sora into a Heartless so his Nobody would appear. But that didn't work out as I hoped." "You still planning on doing that?" Leafa asked sternly. "Nah. I'd rather not do that." Axel chuckled.

"Why do you want to see Roxas so badly?" Recon asked. "Because he's my friend." Axel replied. "I didn't know Nobodies actually had friends." Leafa stated. "Just because we don't have hearts, doesn't mean we can't make friends." Axel retorted, "I mean, you guys an Naminé are friends, right?" Axel did have a point there. "Roxas was the only person who made me feel like I had a heart." Axel continued, "He was the only one who made me feel like I was…somebody. Pretty weird, right?" Leafa and Recon looked surprised at this. Roxas was that kind of friend to Axel?

"Anyways, I'd better get going before the Organization finds me again." Axel told the two, raising a hand to open another black portal, "I'll keep in touch with you guys if anything important happens. In the meantime, I'll stay out of sight." Axel turned and started to walk to the portal.

"Wait!" Leafa stopped him. Axel halted in his tracks. "You still didn't answer my question before; Why help us?" Leafa asked, "What are you getting out of it?" "Nothing, really." Axel replied, turning to look at her, "Let's just say that you and Sora give off the same vibe." Leafa looked confused as Axel turned and exited into the Corridor of Darkness.

* * *

_So, when we got word that Organization XIII brought a digital world over from that other dimension into this one, I decided to take a chance. They were trying to enrage those other three Keyblade wielders into destroying more Heartless by setting them onto their world. I snuck into the stronghold, and discovered how to return that world to where it was. Now all that was left was to give the information…_

* * *

**Shortly after Kirito, Asuna and company arrived in Aincrad**

Leafa and Recon were rushing over to Ansem's computer lab. They had just reached the bailey when a black portal opened in front of them. The two immediately pulled out their weapons in response. Axel stepped out, seeing the two in front of him.

"Axel!" Leafa realized, lowering her fighter's stance. "I see you guys are in a big rush." Axel noticed, "Guess you figured out your online world is in big trouble. What was it's name? Aincrad? Hate to break it to ya, but you won't be able to find anything where you're going."

"Are you trying to mock us?!" Leafa demanded in a harsh tone, "If you are, then you have another thing coming!" "Hey, ease up a little bit!" Axel raised his hands in defense, "I actually came here with some info. I know how to bring your world back home." Leafa and Recon were surprised at this bit of info.

"How do you know this?" Recon asked, "You said you were no longer part of the Organization." "True, but I know my way around the stronghold." Axel corrected him, "I found the computer room, and how Gouxus even brought it here. It's all thanks to a dark orb of energy he planted within that world. It's also attracting the Heartless there as well, so you better hurry up and destroy it."

"Where is this dark orb?" Leafa asked. "Hell if I know." Axel replied, "But if I recall, the information did say something about being in a place where Kirito and Asuna left from." "The dungeon on floor 57!" Recon recalled. Leafa looked to Axel, wondering if his info was to be trusted.

Finally, Leafa said, "Okay, we're counting on your information. But don't get the wrong idea. I'm still not 100% sure you can be trusted." "Suit yourself." Axel replied, opening up a black portal, "I'll just drop you off over there so you can get the job done." Leafa and Recon watched as Axel walked into the portal. They looked to one another, then followed Axel into the portal as well.

* * *

_I did what I said, and dropped off those two at their world. Afterwards, I told Naminé to go pick them up again. Later on, I heard that their world had returned back home. It doesn't seem too bad to help those guys out once in a while. I felt like I should do more for them. I had to figure out what, though…_

* * *

**After Kirito fought against Sephiroth**

Leafa and Recon were walking through the streets, carrying groceries for the Moonlit Black Cats. "Hope we got everything for them." Recon started. "I'm sure we did." Leafa replied, "We got supplies for Asuna, and necessities for Keita, Sachi and the others. They have been working hard on repairing Tron's world and Radiant Garden. How about we also get them some ice cream as well?" "Our favorite flavor?" Recon asked. Leafa nodded in agreement.

"Hey, you two." called out a familiar voice from behind them. They turned to see Axel appearing out of a portal, coming towards the two. "Axel!" Leafa gasped. "Looks like this place is a little more lively." Axel noticed, looking about, "Don't remember so many people living here. Twilight Town was just the same. From what I heard, Sora, Kirito and Asuna's little group brought them about."

"You upset?" Recon asked. "Nah. Feels a little bit better, just like back in the day…" Axel replied, crossing his arms.

There was a moment of silence between them, then Axel unfolded his arms and grabbed something from behind him. "Here, I gotcha something." he said, and he pulled out a grocery bag, within containing three wrapped sea-salt ice cream bars. "Sea-Salt!" Recon noticed. Axel pulled all three out, and handed one to Leafa and Recon. He saved the last one for himself as he leaned backed against the wall near them. He took a bite out of his ice cream. Leafa and Recon did the same.

"Roxas and I use to eat these together." Axel told them, drawing their attention, "Back in Twilight Town, on top of the clock tower. It was our 'after mission snack' when we use to work for the Organization." "Yeah. we did the same thing with Hayner, Pence and Olette before we moved here." Leafa stated, "Being up there, looking out into the world. Kinda like how we flew around ALFheim."

The trio remained silent for a while, eating their snack. Then Axel spoke up again, "You know, back when I was somebody, this use to be my hometown." This bit of news surprised the two. "You mean, you remember that?" Recon asked. "Sure. Us, Nobodies, actually can remember bits and pieces of our past." Axel explained, "I even memorized my name back then."

"You mean your name isn't Axel?" Recon asked him. "That's just my name as a Nobody." Axel replied. "Well, what was your name when you were 'somebody'?" Leafa asked. Axel looked up, thinking. "My old name… was Lea." Axel replied, then pointed to his brain, "Got it memorized?" Leafa saw the grin on Axel's face, and couldn't help but smile in response. This side of Axel was a bit better than before.

"Hey, check it out!" Recon exclaimed, holding his empty stick. On it were the words 'Winner'. "Hey, what do you know. You got a winner stick." Axel noticed, "You know, if you collect twenty of those, you can get a prize for it." "What's the prize?" Recon asked in interest. "Dunno." Axel shrugged, "Must be something good."

After they finished their ice cream, Leafa started, "So what do you plan to do now, Axel?" "That's the big question." Axel replied, "To be honest, I have no idea. Can't go back to the Organization again. Figure I just keep running, hoping I could find Roxas again." "He's that important to you, is he?" Leafa asked, "Chasing after someone close… Kinda reminds me of me chasing after Kirito a lot."

"Guess we have something in common." Axel stated, "So, got any suggestions on what to do next?" Leafa and Recon paused, thinking on the suggestion, then Recon made a noise. "You could try finding Kairi for us?" he suggested, "Sora is looking for her. If she is safe, then Sora won't have to worry about her so much."

Axel paused, thinking about the plan of action. "You don't think you can do it?" Leafa asked. "Sure I can. It's just that reaching her will be tricky. The prison where she is being kept at is protected by Saïx and his Nobodies. I know he is too much for me to take on single-handedly." Leafa and Recon looked to one another, wondering how tough Saïx was.

"Tell you what, I'll go on ahead and tell Naminé about this." Axel informed them, "After that, I'll get a head start, then you guys come to back me up. Sound good?" "Great!" Recon answered excitedly. "Thanks, Axel." Leafa thanked him, "You know, you're alright for a Nobody." Axel smirked at this comment.

"Let's head back to Twilight Town, first." Leafa decided, "I'll leave a letter for my brother, Asuna and Yui." she turned to Axel, "I probably shouldn't tell them about you, yet. That might give off the wrong impression." Axel waved a hand, opening up a portal to the Corridor of Darkness. "I'll have Naminé pick you guys up." he told them, "Don't leave me hanging."

Axel was about to step through when Leafa said, "Wait." Axel stopped and turned to her. "Just…try not to get into too much trouble." she told him, "And whatever happens, we'll be there to help you out." Leafa poked at the side of her head as she quoted, "Got it memorized?" Axel chuckled at this, seeing her taking a leaf out of his book. "Yeah, I gotcha." he replied, and he walked through the portal and disappeared.

* * *

_I finally decided on a plan of action; I had to find Kairi and bring her back to Sora and his friends. I'm not planning to use her to find Roxas now. The Organization considers me a traitor, so I'm gonna do the one thing a traitor should do; mess things up for them a little more._

* * *

**As Leafa and Riku's group arrived in the digital Twilight Town**

Kairi and Pluto were sitting inside the cell, quiet and calm. Outside of their cell, two Berserker Nobodies were standing on either side of the cell. Kairi looked to the two Nobodies. _How am I gonna get outta here?_ she thought to herself. Pluto whined a little, and Kairi petted him. "Don't worry." she assured the dog, "Sora and Riku will find me. I know they will."

Just then, a flaming chakram flew out from the side of the hallway, taking down both Berserkers in one shot. This started Kairi, making her raise to her feet and rush to the bars. "Sorry if I'm neither." said Axel, appearing before her, "And sorry for causing so much trouble." "It's you!" gasped Kairi. "Cool off. I'm here to get you outta here." Axel told her.

"Are you here to capture me again?!" Kairi demanded, "Cause if you are, you have another thing coming!" Pluto was growling at her side. "Guess you can't trust me, can you?" Axel assumed, "Can't be helped, though, after what happened." He then remembered Sora and Leafa's faces, demanding for Kairi's return. "But… I've decided. I'm bringing you back to Sora." he finished, surprising Kairi.

"You really did come crawling back, Axel." said a voice from behind Axel. He looked shocked, then turned to see Saïx there, calmly looking back at him. "I've been waiting for you." he told Axel, producing his claymore, "I hope you are prepared this time." Axel huffed, then produced his second chakram, and the two engaged in combat.

Kairi and Pluto watched as the two went at it. It was clear Saïx was a more powerful combatant. He struck Axel hard, and he doubled back. "Do you really thing you can win against me?!" Saïx demanded. "Axel!" Kairi called out.

Saïx called upon the moon's power, and entered his Rage mode, making it even more difficult for Axel. The flaming fighter had to avoid his attacks as best as he could, then he saw a weakpoint, and struck Saïx at his neck, pinning him to the ground. This made Saïx go unconscious.

Axel turned to Kairi, who was stunned at the fight. "You hurt, Kairi?" he asked. "N-No. I'm fine." Kairi replied. "Thank goodness." Axel smiled. He started to walk towards the prison cell when Saïx instantly woke up and struck Axel on the side of his waist, knocking him to the ground. This produced a rip in his coat, and black vapor was seeping out. Kairi gasped in shock.

"It's sweet, isn't it?" Saïx asked through his Rage mode, "You and I are quite different after all…" Axel got to his feet again, raising one hand to produce a portal. "You're not getting away again!" Saïx roared, racing at Axel. He raised his other hand, producing a wall of flames, stopping Saïx. "AXEEEEL!" shouted Saïx.

"Wait, don't go!" shouted Kairi, raising a hand to Axel. "Don't worry. I'll get you outta here! I promise!" he told her, and he stepped through the portal and disappeared.

The next second, he appeared in the town of the World that Never Was. He grasped his side, feeling the pain of the attack. He looked at the black vapor seeping out of his cloak. "Not yet…" he moaned, "I can't fade just yet…"

"Axel!" gasped a voice. He looked up to see Naminé, Ansem-Riku, and Recon racing towards him. "What happened?" Recon asked, "I thought you were going to save Kairi!" "I was, but…" Axel replied, then he looked down at his injury. "Axel, you've been wounded!" gasped Naminé. "It's nothing." Axel lied, looking at the trio, "Where's Leafa?" "She hasn't made it here yet." Riku replied, "She must be hung up by the Nobodies and Heartless."

I'll go get her." Axel decided, "She said she would back me up, so I should do the same for her!" And with that, he raced into the dark city, leaving the trio behind to watch him leave. "He's determined to find Leafa?" Riku asked. "Course he is." Recon replied, "After all, he and Leafa are friends."

* * *

**As Sora, Kirito and Asuna's arrived at the Digital Twilight Town**

…Leafa was about to take off when a group of Dusks suddenly appeared around her. "Back for more, I suppose?" she asked amusingly, whipping her Keyblade out. A Dusk came at her, but she jumped into the air, and performed a downward slash onto it. Two more flew up to meet her, but she spun around with her weapon, destroying the two. She then produced her wings and started murmuring an incantation. She activated her 'Wind Needles' Magic Spell, and the scattering rain of needles showered down on the remaining Nobodies, destroying them.

She landed on the ground in the middle of the wreckage she made, looking around. "Guess it's not safe anywhere." she said, "I should find Riku, Naminé and Recon." She made a few steps forward before someone called out to her. "Hey, Leafa. Fancy meeting you hear." She turned and saw Axel behind her. "It's you again!" she gasped, seeing him before her.

"Thought you came to back ME up?" Axel asked, walking forward. "Where's Kairi?" Leafa asked, then she saw the wound, and gasped, "What happened?!" "Saïx." he replied, looking at it, "Can't believe he would go this far to hurt me. To think we use to be friends…"

Leafa looked at Axel, and saw the look of depression on his face. Even though he didn't have a heart, Leafa felt Axel's feelings of regret. "For someone who doesn't have a heart, you sure can feel something." she told him, "It seems to be the same with Naminé. Makes me think maybe there are Nobodies out there who do HAVE hearts. I mean, you need hearts to feel, and you feel like you let us down, didn't you?"

Axel looked at her with confusion, then he tapped the spot where his heart should be. Something, besides Leafa's words told him that she was right. Deep down, he felt like he let Kairi, Leafa, Sora, and everyone else down. Does that kind of emotion feel like this? "Well, don't worry about a thing." Leafa told him, "We'll get Kairi back, I know we will!" Axel looked at her, and felt he could believe in her words.

Just then, both of them felt something; a reaction that told them someone close was in trouble. "Brother!" gasped Leafa. "Roxas!" followed Axel. The two looked to one another, then looked to the area where the portal to the digital Twilight Town was at. "Let's go aid them!" she told Axel. "Sounds good to me." Axel replied, "If I can't find Roxas, then I might as well help his somebody." The two raced towards the edge of the skyscraper and jumped off, racing towards their friends.

* * *

_We arrived within the Corridor of Darkness, where we saw Sora and his buddies in a tight spot against the swarm of Nobodies. Leafa and I came to their aid, and we started to take them down, one after another. That's when I did it…_

* * *

**In the Corridor of Darkness to TWTNW (Straight from SAK Ep. 28)**

… After a while, they were surrounded by hundreds of Dusks. Sora, Leafa and Axel jumped back to back with each other. "I think I liked it better when they were on my side." Axel stated sarcastically. "Aw, are you starting to miss the Organization?" sassed Leafa. "Feeling a little…regret?" taunted Sora. Axel turned to the two with a smirk. "Nah…I can handle these punks." he retorted, "Heh…watch this!"

He jumped away from them and into an open space within the swarm of Nobodies. His chakrams started to float on their own and spin around him as they and him both lit on fire. Axel mustered up all the power he could produce, and unleashed a fiery storm that blinded everyone. When the fire cleared, Sora and Leafa unshielded their eyes and looked around. Not a single trace of the Nobodies remained around them. Donald, Goofy, Kirito and Asuna all looked around, surprised. "Woah!" gasped Sora and Leafa in unison.

They turned to where Axel was at, only to see him on his back, the flames dying away, and smoke coming off of his body. However, this wasn't the normal fire smoke. Sora and Leafa dashed to Axel's side and saw what was happening to his body. "You're…fading away…" Sora noticed. "Well, that's what happens when you put your whole being into an attack. You know what I mean?" Axel replied, "Not that Nobodies actually HAVE beings…right?" "You…didn't have to sacrifice yourself like this." Leafa said, startled at what he had done, "Why? Why go so far?!" "I don't know." Axel replied, turning his head to Leafa, "I guess…I just wanted to show off to you guys. Plus, I know you can do a better job at stopping the Organization than I could." Leafa looked sadly at Axel. They may have been enemies and rivals, but in time, Leafa started to respect Axel a lot more as time went by.

"Anyway, I digress." Axel stated, looking to the both of them, "Go, find Kairi. Oh, almost forgot… Sorry for what I did to her." "When we find her, you can tell her that yourself." Sora told him. "Think I'll pass." Axel replied, turning his head away from them, "My heart just wouldn't be in it, you know? Haven't got one." He chuckled at this last statement. "Axel, what were you trying to do?" Sora asked him. "I wanted to see Roxas." Axel responded, surprising Sora and Leafa, "He…was the only one I liked… He made me feel…like I had a heart. It's kind of…funny…" He turned to the two of them. "You two make me feel…the same…" Leafa blushed at this, but then saw Axel's face get serious. "Kairi's in the castle dungeon." Axel finished, "Now go!" He shakily raised one of his hands, and activated a portal for them. His hand then flopped to the ground as his body started to fade at a faster pace. "Axel…" Sora mumbled, seeing him go. "Goodbye…friend…" said Leafa, as Axel finally disappeared from view.

* * *

_And that was it. Just like that, I vanished. Sora and Leafa were next to me, so at least I disappeared with friends at my side. But as I left, I gave my flames to both of them, hoping they would use them against the Organization. At least something to say I existed, even as a Nobody…_

* * *

**After Sora defeated Roxas**

Axel was on top of the clock tower in Twilight Town, standing on the edge of the building. Roxas was curled up next to him, apparently asleep, his legs dangling over the edge. He was thinking about all that he had been through, mainly about when he met Leafa, and what he and her have been through.

He then noticed Roxas stir. "Look who's finally awake?" Axel stated. Roxas bolted his head up, then turned to look at who spoke to him. "Axel!" gasped Roxas. Axel thought about what he said, then added, "Or, maybe I have it wrong. Might be time for us to sleep. Soon, we won't be able to talk like this, anymore." Roxas looked down at his feet, wondering. "Does that mean…" he started, "It's time for me to go back where I belong?"

Axel sat down next to Roxas as he said, "You know, I've been thinking about something Naminé said. Roxas…" he looked to his friend, "…are you really sure you don't have a heart? Is it possible we all have one? You? Me? Her? Or is that just wishful thinking?"

"I don't know." Roxas replied, shaking his head, "I can't just look inside." "Yeah, I guess not…" sighed Axel. "But I figure, if there is something in there, inside us, then we feel it, wouldn't we?" Roxas asked, "And if so… No, never mind." "Come on." Axel urged him, "Don't leave me hangin'."

There was a pause, then Roxas smiled as he said, "Sora will find the answer we're looking for. I know he will. Because he's me."

Axel looked to him, then said, "True enough, but it isn't just Sora, but maybe Leafa as well." "Leafa?" Roxas questioned. "That's right, you two never met face to face." Axel remembered, "Let's just say you, Sora and Leafa all give off the same feeling…" He touched his heart, "Like I had a heart." Roxas looked at Axel, then looked up. "Just like Sora…" he muttered, "Wish I met her."

"You might get a chance to see her again." Axel told Roxas, "But I have to warn ya; Her personality like the wind, Strong and free. And with the fire I gave her, those two elements should make one heck of a storm." Roxas chuckled at this, with Axel following with.

Axel then pulled out a pair of sea-salt ice cream bars, and handed one to Roxas. "Thanks." Axel thanked him, and he took it. The two chomped a bit on their ice cream before Axel continued, "Man, I miss the old times. Still got it memorized? The day we met, and you got your new name, you and I sat right here, and watched the sunset."

Roxas looked out into Twilight Town, towards the setting sun. "Yeah. This place is home." Roxas agreed, "Me, Hayner, Pence, Olette. We've shared a lot of adventures." "You'll see them again." Axel assured him, "I know you will. Then, you can meet Leafa. I saw she was hanging out with them when she was here. Then, you can make a new friend, just like I did." "Yeah…you're right." Roxas agreed.

There was another pause, then Roxas said, "Well, I should go. Sora's waitin' for me." "Yeah, I suppose he is." Axel sighed, taking a bite out of his ice cream bar, "Man, this is some good ice cream, huh?" Roxas started to shine brightly as he turned to Axel. "Take care, okay?" he asked. Axel also started to shine brightly as he smiled back at his friend. "Right back at ya, buddy." he replied. A tear fell from Axel's eye, which dripped onto the railing they were sitting on. It sparkled, and vanished into the light.

As Leafa and Naminé walked through the Corridor of Darkness towards Kairi, Leafa stopped, feeling something in her heart. It surprised her, but it was a sad feeling. Her eyes even became teary. "What's the matter?" Naminé asked, seeing Leafa's expression. "N-Nothing." Leafa replied, wiping away the tears, "Don't know where that came from." Once she dried her tears, she looked sternly ahead. "Come on, we have to save Kairi. For Sora and Axel's sake." Naminé smiled and nodded, then she walked along the path.

Leafa looked up, thinking. _I hope to see you again, Axel._ she thought to herself, _Maybe when we meet again, I hope you have the heart to understand how much you consider me as a friend._ Leafa shook her head, putting the thoughts in the back of her head. Kairi's rescue came first. She raced after Naminé, ready to bring down the Organization.


	3. Asuna's New Stage! Friends Across Worlds

**Okay, it's official; I will not do this in a chronological order. I have all the stories picked, but I just feel like writing the ones that come to me at the time. This one takes place after the events of SAKII: Dimensional Bonds, and it is basically the last episode if going by chronological order. Still, I hope you guys enjoy it. Here it is, the last episode, or the second uploaded episode.**

* * *

_(I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Sword Art Online. All I do is form my imagination from both stories, and share it with the world!)_

**Chapter 1: The Return of Cure Soul**

Yokohama. A beautiful city in the middle of Japan. It also sets the stage for a group of friends in a certain world, who's home cities seem to border nearby Yokohama. Many tourists and travelers around Japan would often visit this city for its' scenery and the rare shops you could find.

In the alleyway of a nearby city street, a large, bright Keyhole suddenly bursted out of nowhere. No one from the outside noticed it appear, nor did they see the two people who seem to pop out of the Keyhole. Asuna Yuuki, along with her daughter, Yui, landed neatly on the ground, looking around at their scenery. Both of them were wearing the same clothes as they did in their last journey around their dimension.

"Is this the place?" Asuna asked. "It seems to be the case." Yui replied, "If what Mrs. Gretinal said was true, we should have arrived in the right world." Asuna saw the end of the alleyway, and walked out with Yui at her side, arriving on the busy streets of Yokohama. "It's a lot different from Kanon Town." Asuna pointed out, "I just hope we can find our friends here without too much trouble." She wondered what kind of situation she got herself involved in when Keyblade Master Gretinal called her just a little while ago…

_(Cue Opening Song 'Let's Wondering')_

(Flashback) During the next few months, Kirito, Asuna, Leafa and Yui all trained hard for the tasks that Gretinal warned them about ever since they sent Sora, his friends, and the entire world of Disney Castle back to its' dimension again. She explained to them that she needed to converse with King Mickey's master, Yen Sid, on how to deal with the situations in the future. She said that Kirito, Asuna and Leafa would have to take a test in order to prove themselves as true Keyblade Masters. In the meantime, they had to prepare themselves for that test.

The heroes, realizing that Kirito's dojo wasn't gonna cut it for their practice, found an abandoned lot surrounded by a large concrete wall to practice without being noticed. The only people who knew of their practicing were Asuna and Kirito's parents, Ryoutarou, Andrew, Keiko, Rika, Shino, Nurse Aki and Seijirou. The last name was hard to convince to keep the Keyblade wielder thing a secret, since it was better he, nor the rest of the company he owns to know about the whole situation. Gretinal was a big influence as well, since she threatened to erase his memories of it. It was unknown if she had the power or not.

After one of the days of practice, Kirito, Asuna, Leafa and Yui were cleaning up all the damage they had done around the open lot. Asuna had finally perfected one of her Sword Skills she had been trying to do in her normal form, and was greatly relieved.

"Should we call it a day?" Leafa asked, wiping her head with a towel, "I'm sorta beat from that training. Plus, I still need to finish my homework before the end of the week." "Yeah, and I need to finish that new program for my project at school." Kirito added. "For that mecha-tonics class, right?" Leafa asked. "Mechatronics." Kirito corrected her. Asuna giggled a bit at the error on how she phrased the name.

"I'll take Yui back with me to my house tonight." Asuna told Kirito, "Once I'm done with my homework, I'll tell you when Yui and I are logging into ALO." "Okay." Kirito replied, "I'll be in touch with you if anything happens." The four exited the lot, and Yui and Asuna parted ways with Kirito and Leafa, going to their individual homes.

After a couple blocks, Asuna asked, "Hey, Yui. Want to help out with my homework tonight so we can beat Kirito to ALO?" "Mm-hm!" Yui answered, "We can make Kirito a big meal back at our house!" Asuna laughed in agreement.

Having Yui in the real world seem to brighten both Asuna and Kirito's lives. They exchanged Yui to go to each of their homes, promising that one day, when they had the money, they could afford a house to live in all together. In ALO, Yui was actually quite a good fighter as a Pooka race, with some of her Navigation Pixie skills still intact, allowing her to analyze the enemies attack patterns faster than anyone else.

As they walked, something started to glow in Asuna's pocket. She felt the glow of energy, and pulled out a crystal orb that was given to her by Gretinal before she left. Both Kirito and her had one. Gretinal's face appeared in the crystal. "Mrs. Gretinal!" Asuna greeted in surprise. Yui stood next to her, looking up at Gretinal's face.

"Hello there, Asuna." Gretinal replied, "I've called you for something that was made for you to be part of. You don't have to take it, but you might learn something from the experience." "I'm ready for anything that should come my way." Asuna told her. "I'm coming with mama, too!" Yui added.

"Very well then." Gretinal understood, "I want you to head over to the Pretty Cure world in a place called Yokohama." "The Pretty Cure world?" Asuna echoed. "Yes." Gretinal replied, "I feel that an enemy might appear in front of the Pretty Cures, and that you should help them in their fight." "Is it a Heartless? Or an Unversed?" Asuna asked. "Neither." Gretinal replied, "The enemy is not foreign to their world."

"If that's the case, then why should I go there?" Asuna asked, "I'm not from their world. I shouldn't meddle with the world's affair unless it involves those creatures." "For a standard Keyblade wielder, you are correct." Gretinal agreed, "However, you also possess the soul of a Pretty Cure. That power is unique that you can be involved with that world's affair. The Precure Soul is one of the few Soul Drives that allow you to join in to those situations."

"Okay, so how do I get over there?" Asuna asked, "The worlds are separated again after Oberon's defeat." "Fortunately, you can still make it there via Keyholes of Bonds." Gretinal explained, "Since you were one of the people who sealed the Keyholes in this dimension, they act as a sort of passageway for you between the worlds you sealed. It was just like how you summoned your friends to the battlefield in the final battle against Oberon."

Asuna pondered on the idea, then said, "Okay, I'll go. But just in case, I'd better grab my homework if I have the spare time. I can't afford to lose any time without doing it." Gretinal smiled and nodded in agreement. "That is true. You still have your duties in your own world as well." Gretinal agreed. Asuna sighed. Keyblade wielder duties, homework, and training. She can barely have the time to settle down now.

"Be safe, Asuna, Yui." Gretinal told them. "Same to you, Mrs. Gretinal." Yui replied. "I'll be off soon." Asuna told her, and Gretinal's face disappeared on the crystal orb as its' light faded. "We'd better tell my parents what is happening before we leave." Asuna told Yui, "Let's hurry." "Right. I'll tell papa and Leafa about where we're going as well." Yui added. And with that, the two set out to Asuna's home. (Flashback Ends)

Yui had a backpack on with Asuna's things for homework. Their special garments did make them stick out a bit, which was why they had on long-sleeved jackets over their upper halves so as not to be noticed as much. They looked around at the city. It was very nice. "So where too, next?" Asuna asked, looking about. "We should find Hibiki, Kanade, Ellen and Hummy." Yui answered, "If was Mrs. Gretinal said was true, they should be around her, right?"

Just then, the two heard a familiar voice aways from them. "Asuna! Yui!" The two turned to see three girls racing up to them. It was Cure Black, Cure White and Shiny Luminous, only they looked like they were in civilian clothes, or rather, they weren't in their Pretty Cure attire. They had never seen them out of their Pretty Cure attire before, so it took them a few seconds before realizing who it was.

"It's you three!" Asuna realized when they came close, "Black! White! Lumi-!" Black made a noise to stop her in mid-scentence. "That whole Pretty Cure thing is suppose to be a secret!" Black told her, "Call us by our regular names. I'm Nagisa. White is Honoka, and Luminous is Hikari." "Sorry about that." Asuna apologized.

"So what are you guys doing here?" Honoka asked curiously. "I heard from someone that you guys might need an extra bit of help." Asuna explained, "Since I do have the soul of a Pretty Cure, I am able to help you guys out here." "Has there been any trouble here?" Yui asked.

The three young girls looked at one another before Honoka replied, "Well, we did hear of a rumor that an old enemy is returning to Yokohama again." "If you arrived to help, maybe that rumor is true." Nagisa stated, looking at her friends, who grew concern.

Just then, the sky went from bright and blue to dark and eerie in an instant. This drew everyone's concern as they looked into the sky. "What happened?!" exclaimed a nearby man. "This must be…" Hikari started, then the three Pretty Cure girls looked at one another, nodding in confirmation. "Asuna, in here!" said Nagisa, pulling Asuna into the alleyway they came out of, with Yui right behind them.

Nagisa and Honoka pulled out a pair of cell phones, flipping them open. "Mepple!" Nagisa declared. "I'm ready to go, mepo!" a face in the cell phone replied. "Mipple!" Honoka added. "Okay, Honoka, mipo!" replied a different face. Hikari pulled out what looked like a small purse, opening it up to reveal another face in it. "Pollun!" she told it. "Here we go, popo!" The three girls looked to Asuna, who knew she had to transform as well. Asuna took off her jacket and Yui caught it as it fell.

Nagisa and Honoka grasped hands and raised their phones. "_Dual Aurora Wave!_" they shouted together. "_Luminous Shining Stream!_" Hikari shouted, her device emitting a sparkling of lights. Asuna concentrated, glowing a bright red. "_Precure Soul!_" she shouted, and she bursted with energy. Each of them entered their transformation process, turning into their Pretty Cure forms.

_"The Emissary of Light! Cure Black!"_

_"The Emissary of Light! Cure White!"_

_"Sparkling Life! Shiny Luminous!"_

_"Strumming to the Soul of my Beat! Cure Soul!"_

The four Pretty Cure, now in their forms and names, were ready to go. "Get onto my back, Yui." Soul told her. Yui hopped onto Asuna's back, and the four jumped high into the air, racing towards the ferris wheel off in the distance.

In the air, a voice boomed out to all of the city. "My name is Fusion." it said, "I shall destroy all and create a world of nothing but pitch-black void." This was followed by several explosions that appeared around the ground and in the water that split the city. This sent people into a panic.

Then out from two skyscrapers and out of the smoke came a gigantic tyrannosaurus rex-like beast, only it was made entirely of some sort of silver, metallic jelly-like material. It was emanating a mixture of red and dark red energy from its' mouth.

The beast, Fusion, saw all the people on the ground past the ferris wheel, gathered all the energy from its' mouth, and unleashed it into a fiery inferno at their direction. Everyone was too afraid to run from the attack, and they braced for the impact.

Suddenly, there was a barrier of rainbow lights from the ferris wheel, and it stopped the blast in its' tracks, diminishing it. Everyone wondered what stopped it until they saw, on most of the gondolas of the ferris wheel, stood a girl in a different set of uniforms. "There's someone up on the gondolas!" exclaimed a man. "Not just one. Five, ten… a lot of them!" gasped another man. "They are all girls!" a boy noticed. "Wait, are they…" a man realized. "It is! It has to be!" another man realized.

Underneath the ferris wheel, Soul had her Sisterly Tides Keyblade up, aiding in stopping the blast. She lowered her Keyblade and looked at Yui and the fairies next to her. They came in a variety of forms, and they were all shouting "You can do it!". "Soul, nya!" cried Hummy, who was part of the group. "Hummy!" Soul greeted the cat, "Take care of Yui for me. I'll join the others!" "You got it nya!" Hummy replied, and Soul jumped upwards.

"It's good to see you again, Hummy." Yui greeted the cat. "Wait, who is this girl?!" asked a ferret-like fairy. "She's Yui, nya!" Hummy replied, "She comes from a different world along with Cure Soul, nya!"

"I see." the ferret understood, "Good to meet ya. I'm Tarte, the mascot of the Fresh Pretty Cure. If you want to help, have this…" He held out a small pink stick with a special light on top of it. "What is this?" Yui asked, taking the stick. "It's called a Miracle Light." Tarte explained, "If ya wave it, it'll glow and give the Precure power!" Yui looked at it, then up at all the girls at the top part of the ferris wheel.

Soul flipped herself through the spokes of the ferris wheel, landing right next to the Suite Pretty Cure. "Hey, did you miss me?" she asked with a grin. Cure Melody, Rhythm and Beat turned to her, including another girl who was a few years younger, dressed in a yellow uniform and with long, twin-tailed, bright orange hair and magenta eyes. "Cure Soul!" exclaimed Melody and Rhythm in unison. "You came back to help!" Beat added happily. Soul looked to Beat, nodding in confirmation. The group then turned to see Fusion glaring at the girls from a distance. "Let's rock and roll, girls!" Soul declared.

_(Cue Pretty Cure Opening 'Eien no Tomodachi')_

At once, all of the girls jumped off the ferris wheel, flying over the water straight towards Fusion, who was ready to fight. From all around the city, the crowd of people started to cheer for the Pretty Cures. At this point, Soul looked around, seeing all of the girls. They were all Pretty Cure, coming in varieties of uniforms, faces and such. She remembered Melody saying there were over twenty known Pretty Cure in their world. Even so, it surprised to see so many around her. She guessed it took this much to take down this beast.

The Max Heart Pretty Cure led the assault as Fusion shot parts of its' body into streams at the group. The Pretty Cures started to knock them about, causing as much damage as they could. It then shot dark red blasts of energy from the top of its' snout and eyes, but two different groups of Pretty Cures blocked all the attacks, returning with blasts of energy in response, the the Suite Pretty Cure team, including Soul, leaped at each skyscraper, flying down around the scatter shots the beast delivered. They dove at the beast, striking it individually on the head.

The Pretty Cures were like little flies compared to the monstrous Fusion, and just as hard to hit as they kept peppering it all around its' body. Soul and Beat flew in together, shooting a Beat and Soul Sonic attack in unison, blasting the back of the beast before avoiding the tail.

They then joined the rest of the Suite Pretty Cure as Melody issued the command to all of the Pretty Cures to unleash one final blast. Each grouping of girls performed a powerful, unified attack, all striking Fusion. Soul unleashed her Finisher, Quartet Rondo, enveloping the beast in several Tone Rings before producing a barrier around her and igniting the rings. The combined attacks of all the Pretty Cure made Fusion dissolve and its' remnants scatter about all over the city, disappearing from view.

* * *

**Chapter 2: Search for Fusion Remnants**

When they finished their final attack, the girls all landed onto the ground where Fusion was at. Soul finally got to see the group of Pretty Cures more closely. Their average age was about the same as Melody, Rhythm and Beat; about fourteen years old. Some of them were younger, others were a bit older.

"Alright! We took down Fusion!" declared the neon-blue-haired girl named Cure Marine, "Score one for us Pretty Cure!" "Don't relax just yet, Marine." warned the lavender-haired girl, who was closest to Soul's age, named Cure Moonlight, "Fusion was stopped, but it is far from defeated." "Its' remnants have been scattered about in the city." the pink-haired girl named Cure Passion explained, "We had better disperse and take the pieces out before they form together again." The other girls nodded in agreement.

"We should do that, but first…" The hot-pink-haired girl named Cure Dream started, and everyone looked to Soul, "Who are you? Are you a new Pretty Cure?" "Uh…" Soul started, noticing how much attention she was getting.

"This is Cure Soul." Melody introduced, "She's a friend from a different world, and she had helped us out some time ago." "She's very strong." Black added, "It was thanks to her and some of her friends that the entire dimension was saved." "Really?!" Marine asked incredulously. "It's very nice to meet all of you." Soul greeted them, bowing her head to them. The rest of the Pretty Cures all smiled and greeted her in response.

Once Soul got to meet all of the girls, they heard some outcries, and they looked up to see a large orange bird in the sky, carrying Yui, Hummy and the rest of the fairies. It landed near them and in a puff of smoke, turned into a small, duck-like fairy. "Mama!" Yui cried, racing in to hug Soul, who's body glowed and reverted back to normal again. Asuna knelt down to hug Yui as the rest of the fairies greeted their teams. Once everyone was together, they all decided to split up at that moment. Each team scattered to a different part of the city, leaving the Suite Pretty Cure team remaining.

Asuna looked up to see Melody, Rhythm, Beat and Hummy, plus the young orange-haired Pretty Cure that eyed her before. As Asuna found out, she was Cure Muse, and was another member of the Suite Pretty Cure team.

They all glowed brightly, returning back to their normal form. Cure Muse's regular look was short orange hair, orange eyes underneath a pair of glasses, a long-sleeved pink shirt underneath a pair of purple overall shorts, pink socks, and white and blue sport shoes.

"Glad you are here, Asuna." Hibiki told Asuna as she and Yui walked to them. "Hope you can bear with me." Asuna replied, looking to the new girl, "So who should I call you in this form?" "Just call me Ako." she replied, "I've actually seen you before. I spied on you when you were fighting the Negatones and those other creatures." "I see." Asuna understood, "Well, it's nice to meet you, Ako. Call me Asuna." "And my name is Yui!" greeted Yui, who looked about the same age as Ako.

"We shouldn't stand around here." Ellen told the group, "Let's go find Fusion." The group nodded and they took off into the city. Asuna wondered what she would learn from this experience. Hummy and the Fairy Tones had to leave for a meeting with the other fairies involving the Fusion incident.

They spent the rest of the morning, going into the early afternoon walking around the city, stopping to get some food at a burger joint. Asuna saw the news on the nearby tv, indicating their recent battle with Fusion. The news indicated that they had never seen these girls before, but indicated them as the legendary warriors, Precure. Asuna saw herself as Cure Soul flying around Fusion, with the moment of her and Beat working together.

"Looks like the Precure got real popular." Asuna pointed out, turning to the group, noticing Hibiki looking at the screen, and added, "Don't let it get to your head." "Who said I was gonna let it go to my head?" Hibiki asked in defense. "She may not look it, but Hibiki can be humble." Kanade told Asuna. "If she weren't so childish all the time…" Ako muttered before taking a sip of her soda. "You're the child here!" exclaimed Hibiki as everyone else laughed at Ako's comment.

Once they were done, they continued the search. Hummy and the rest of the Fairy Tones returned, explaining they were celebrating for their victory when a piece of Fusion attacked the fairies there. They somehow captured it, but they realized they shouldn't be celebrating just yet until all of the Fusion remnants were captured.

Hibiki somehow getting a little more desperate at finding the Fusion remnants. She pulled out a magnifying glass, had her knees bent as she slowly crouch-walked along the ground, looking through the magnifying glass. She was so concentrated at this point, a seagull stood on her head as she walked, and she wasn't bothered by it. It did, however, make her look more idiotic than before. "What does she hope to get out of this?" Asuna whispered to Kanade as they were crossing a large bridge. Kanade shrugged and shook her head, not sure.

Just then, they heard Hibiki chuckle a bit, and turned to watch her. "Run and hid all you want, but know that you leave a blatant and obvious trail in your wake! I've deduced that Fusion…" she stood and pointed to the side, "…is right there!" However, she wasn't pointing at a Fusion remnant, but Hummy and the Fairy Tones, who found three ears of corn on the cob, and were munching away at them. "Whoops…" Hibiki muttered, looking embarrassed at her mistake. The others were looking at her stupidity.

"I'm starting to think that Ako was right about her before." Yui sighed. "Hibiki…" Kanade moaned, "Do you really expect to find Fusion with that magnifying glass?" "Well, we're looking for tiny pieces of him, right?" Hibiki recalled, "I just, you know, didn't want to miss anything." "That's not the only thing you're missing…" Asuna said under her breath, looking at the seagull still perched on her head.

"Okay, that makes sense, but even so…" Ellen stated, and she imitated Hibiki going, "Is right there!" before saying, "You said that with a great degree of certainty." Hibiki laughed a bit before saying, "Well, I guess I thought maybe a bit of womanly intuition…" "You're not a woman yet." Asuna pointed out, "I'm a woman, and I don't rely on my intuition like that." "If only intuition really could save the day." Ako added.

Hibiki started to walk to the group as she said, "You never know…" When a girl with brown hair styled in pigtails, red scrunchies, and dressed in a school uniform bumped into Hibiki. Hibiki looked down to see she bumped into the girl's yellow-beaded bracelet as it spun around on her wrist. This caused the seagull to finally fly off of Hibiki's head.

The girl continued on ahead, shouting, "I'm very sorry!" before racing onward. Why she was running was obvious when another girl came racing between Hibiki and the group. She was a bit shorter, but about the same age as Hibiki. She had dark magenta hair, styled into cone-like rolls, held by yellow bows. Her attire was an assortment of pink clothing, including a hoodie, long-sleeved shirt, a skirt, white stockings and tennis shoes. She was also carrying a shoulder bag.

"Wait up!" shouted the girl, passing by the group as she ran after the brown-haired girl. Hibiki paused, then said, "Hey, wait for me, too!" and she ran off, with Hummy jumping into Hibiki's purse. "Hibiki!" cried Kanade. The brown-haired girl turned and was shocked to see two girls racing after her. "Come back!" Hibiki shouted after the girl. "What is she doing?!" Asuna asked. The rest of the group raced after Hibiki and the two girls.

As soon as they left the bridge, they saw Hibiki and the other two girls race off down the street ahead. As they were about to race after, Asuna noticed something. A piece of green slime suddenly appeared in front of their path, skipping along the path in front of them like a stream, going along the path to the right of them.

"Was that…?" Asuna gasped. "That was Fusion!" Ellen realized. "Quick we need to chase it down!" Asuna told them. "But what about Hibiki?" Kanade asked. "We can find Kanade later!" Asuna replied, "We can't let this piece of Fusion get away!" The four girls looked to one another, and understood what was more important. They chased after Fusion right behind Asuna.

Meanwhile, the brown haired girl, who's name was Ayumi, was continuously being chased by Hibiki and the dark-pink haired girl, who's name was Miyuki. Ayumi was close to tears out of exasperation. Miyuki was panting heavily. Hibiki, who was mostly athletic, took a great dash, ran past Ayumi, and stopped in front with her arms stretched out.

"Now you just hold it!" she shouted. Ayumi stopped, but Miyuki had a hard time stopping. "Get out of the way!" Miyuki cried, stumbling at Hibiki, who saw her coming. Time seem to slow down as the two eyes met, realizing who they were running with before. Then Miyuki tackled right into Hibiki, and they collapsed, leaving a dust cloud.

Ayumi looked at the dust cloud, wondering. "Um, are you two okay?" she asked. Suddenly, the dust cloud quickly dispersed as the two girls popped out, roaring for some reason, and making Ayumi panic. They stopped roaring and looked at Ayumi, blushing in embarrassment. They stepped towards Ayumi, who didn't know what to say. Then both Hibiki and Miyuki bowed their head. "Sorry about earlier!" they said in unison. Ayumi was taken aback.

I wasn't looking where I was going, so it was my fault I bumped into you." Miyuki apologized. "I think I accidentally hit your bracelet with my hand." Hibiki added, pointing at the bracelet on Ayumi, "It's not broken, is it?" Ayumi looked at the bracelet, then hid it behind her back. "I-It's okay!" she replied innocently. "Really?" Hibiki asked. "You're not hurt, are you?" Miyuki asked. "No, I'm okay." Ayumi replied, "Me and my bracelet are both okay." "That's a relief." sighed the two apologizing girls.

"You followed by all this way just to make sure I was okay?" Ayumi asked in a confused manner. "Yeah!" the other responded. Ayumi didn't know what to think, so she slipped past them, then said, "Thanks." and walked off. "Take care now!" Hibiki waved her off. "Buh-bye!" Miyuki added. Ayumi looked back at the two, finding the two strange, but very nice girls.

It was a few seconds after Ayumi laughed did Hibiki and Miyuki looked to one another, laughing a bit. "Hey, can I ask you something?" Miyuki asked. "Yeah, me too!" Hibiki added. "Do you know where I am?" the two girls asked, then replied, "Dunno…" A car drove past them as they thought where to go next.

Meanwhile, Asuna, Yui, Kanade, Ellen and Ako had the piece of Fusion surrounded around them inside of a shrubbery area. No one was near them. Asuna had her Keyblade at the ready while Yui had her tessen. "Make sure it doesn't get out!" Asuna warned the others, "We can't let this thing get away from us."

The Fusion remnant shot towards Ako's position. She shielded herself with her hands, but Yui, who was closest, unleashed a Whirlwind on it, making it spin around and slam back into the center. "I won't let you hurt them!" Yui warned the green blob, which was shaped like a snake, and it looked around to see an opening.

Just then, two separate Fusion remnants appeared through the bushes behind Asuna, and she turned to watch them slither over to their helpless piece. They morphed together, becoming bigger, then the combined remnants jumped into the air and morphed into what looked like a green jelly will-o-the-wisp, with a scary face on it that growled at Asuna.

"More pieces of Fusion made it stronger!" Ellen exclaimed as she, Ako and Kanade were shocked at the change. "It has shifted from escape to attack, mama!" Yui noticed. "Then it's a good thing I'm ready." Asuna answered, "Ellen! Ako! Kanade! Stay back for a second! Yui and I'll handle this." The three girls did as they were told, leaving Asuna and Yui standing there, taking their jackets off so they could fight Fusion. "Come on." Asuna snarled, giving off a serious expression.

The Fusion charged at Asuna, who charged in response. Asuna thrusted her Keyblade forward, jabbing the face of Fusion. This was followed by several more fast jabs, then unleashing her 'Linear' Rapier skill. This sent Fusion flying a few meters away before it recovered itself. It shot several dark purple shots from its' mouth, but Yui got in front, unleashing her Whirlwind again, making the attacks blow off course.

Yui readied herself as Shadow's ring glowed on her wrist, then shot a Chaos Spear at Fusion, which blasted on impact. It flinched from the blast, then it roared at them. As Yui did this, Asuna was focusing, readying to perform the move she perfected early on that day. Her Keyblade glowed purple, and she glared at the Fusion as it flew at them. "Watch out!" Kanade shouted.

Asuna leaped over Yui, then charged at Fusion, who stopped at Asuna's glare on it. She then jabbed five times down one angle of its' face, jumped backwards, then thrusted forward five more times down the other angle, forming an X on the face of the Fusion. It was dazed from the ten consecutive attacks, making unable to dodge as Asuna tilted, and placed all her strength into her final thrust, striking the center of the X she made, directly on the spot her two third strikes on each line met. The attack caused a great explosion, and Fusion disappeared into nothingness.

Asuna whipped her Keyblade down, standing in the spot she finished the Fusion. Everyone else was quiet, amazed at what she did. Asuna placed her Keyblade away, and sighed in relief. The others then smiled happily as they rushed in around Asuna.

"That was incredible!" Kanade stated. "It was only one piece of the Fusion." Asuna pointed out. "Still, your skills with that weapon is quite amazing." Ako pointed out. "Asuna, what kind of attack was that? The last one you performed?" Ellen asked. Asuna looked to her, then looked down at her open right palm. "It's an Original Skill a good friend of mine gave me." she answered, and the ghostly image of Yuuki Konno's face reflected off of her hand, "Mother's Rosario."

For a while, she paused as she remembered the times she had with Yuuki a long time ago, up to when she passed away. The others noticed the sad expression she displayed in her eyes. "Mama." Yui said, tugging at Asuna's shoulder. Asuna realized she was losing focus, then shook her head of the matter. "Sorry about that." she said, smiling at them, making them believe she was okay. She then grew serious as she continued, "But now, we should hunt down more Fusion remnants." The others nodded in agreement, they were far from over.

Just then, Ako turned and gasped, "I see a couple more!" They all turned and saw two more pieces of Fusion, slithering on the ground as they went into the city. "After them!" Asuna declared, and the five girls raced off into the city.

* * *

**Chapter 3: The New Pretty Cure**

Asuna led the other four as they raced into the city, chasing after the two new pieces. Wherever they were going, they were in a big hurry. "They're heading into the Chinatown District!" Yui noticed, seeing the pieces go down a different path, passing a blue, highly decorated gate with a sign that said 'Chinatown' on it.

"Look! Up ahead!" Ellen pointed at something. They saw the backside of Hibiki, with Hummy clinging on the top of her head. Not too far behind Hibiki was the same dark-magenta-haired girl they saw before. The five girls raced passed the girl, to which Asuna saw her carry a doll with yellow curly hair in her arms.

"Hibiki!" Kanade shouted. Hibiki turned to see who called out to her. "Kanade! Ellen! Ako! Asuna! Yui!" she noticed all five of them. Kanade and Asuna raced up next to her as they continued to run. "Where did you go?" Kanade asked, "Do you realize just how worried we were?!" "Yeah! We ended up having to take out a piece of Fusion without you, but more showed up!" Asuna added.

"Sorry about that." Hibiki apologized, "I just figured that if I kept looking for Fusion, I was bound to run into you again." "Jeez, Hibiki." Kanade blushed. "More of that womanly intuition, I take it?" Asuna asked in a quizzical manner.

"We can talk later!" Ako told the trio, "Right now, Fusion is trying to assemble together!" "Think of what'll happen if he gets as big as he did before." Ellen told the group, "We need to stop it while it is small enough." "We need a place to transform at." Asuna told the five, looking about, noticing how busy the street was. "There!" Yui exclaimed, pointing to an alleyway, "You five can transform there!"

The six girls raced into the alleyway, the four pulling out their Cure Modules while Asuna readied herself. Yui turned and noticed they were being watched by the same girl that was with Hibiki. Yui then realized too late, she was gonna watch them transform.

_(Cue Suite Precure Henshin music)_

Dory, Reri, Lari, and Dodori flew upwards, shining brightly before landing in their respective Cure Modules. "_Let's Play! Precure Modulation!_" They tapped the bottoms of their Cure Modules, starting the transformation process. "_Precure Soul!_" Asuna shouted, and she bursted with energy. The five girls had ribbons surround them, each of them undergoing their transformation sequence before reappearing in their Pretty Cure Form. As their earrings appeared, chiming up an octave scale, Asuna and Ellen's earrings appeared simultaneously.

_"Strumming to the Wild Rhythm! Cure Melody!"_

_"Strumming to the Tranquil Melody! Cure Rhythm!"_

_"Strumming to the Beat of my Soul! Cure Beat!"_

_"Strumming to the Soul of my Beat! Cure Soul!"_

_"Strumming to the Goddess' Tune! Cure Muse!"_

The five placed their hands in the center of their semicircle. "_Resonate! Our Musical Symphony!_" they shouted in unison before striking a pose, "_Suite Precure!_"

"Um, guys…" Yui started, but it was too late. The dark pink-haired girl's eyes were glittering as she stood behind the five. "Whoa! You are all Pretty Cure?!" she exclaimed, and everyone but Melody were shocked at this. "She saw us?!" cried Rhythm. "What do we do now?!" Soul asked. "Don't worry!" Melody assured her as the girl dug into her purse, pulling out a make-up case and a small metal ribbon. "Okay! Now it's my turn!" she declared.

The girl opened the case and placed the ribbon into it. _"Ready?"_ said a voice as the gems within glowed. _"Precure Smile Charge!"_ the girl shouted. _"Go!"_ the voice cried, the inside of the case shining brightly before producing a powder puff for the girl. _"Go, go! Let's go, Happy!"_ chanted the voice again as the girl grabbed the powder puff, tapping parts of her body, forming her own Pretty Cure uniform. Her hair glowed, making itself bigger and styled. The girl finished by tapping her cheeks with her puff, forming blush marks.

_"The Twinkling, Sparkling, Light of the Future! Cure Happy!"_ she chanted, striking a pose.

The girl's garments were a lot different from the Suite Pretty Cure garments, but they did have the same Pretty Cure style to it. It was color coordinated in a variety of pinks and white, complete with arm protectors and boots. Her hair was a bright pink, and it extended into two long ponytails with loose strands on her head, on which a white crown and wings. Her eyes were also bright pink.

Soul had Yui on her back as the girls jumped high into the air, surprised at the new Pretty Cure in their midst. Beat had Hummy while Cure Happy had a her doll, which was actually alive. "Cure Happy…" echoed Muse. "You're a Pretty Cure, too?" Beat asked. "Nice to meet you!" Happy greeted them happily. "They didn't even know she was a Pretty Cure." Yui noticed. "So you are a brand new Pretty Cure." Asuna realized, "Well, the more the merrier, I guess."

She turned to look down and see the Fusion pieces gathering towards a certain direction. "Fusion, where are you going in such a hurry?" Melody muttered. "We'll stop it before it reaches its' destination." Rhythm told her. Melody nodded in response.

After leaping across the city, the seven girls landed within a harbor front. On top of one of the stacks of metal crates, they saw five large, green Fusion remnants about the size of the combined one Asuna and Yui dealt with before. "We'd better divide and conquer it before it combines together." Melody told the group.

"Happy, take care of Yui for me, would ya?" Soul asked, pushing Yui to Happy, with Hummy and Happy's fairy, whose name was Candy. "Uh, sure!" Happy replied. "Mama?" Yui asked. Soul smiled as she gave Yui a thumbs up, then the five Suite Pretty Cure dove at the five Fusion remnants, which morphed into the same will-o-the-wisp forms like the one did before.

The five Fusion remnants shot at the five girls, who struck them with a barrage of punches before knocking them in five directions, each girl taking one of them. Melody's Fusion was shooting purple shots of energy, and Melody was avoiding them all while being chased by it. Rhythm was knocking her Fusion back with a series of punches. Beat was doing the same, only with kicks. Muse was avoiding the quick flying Fusion, who kept trying to ram into her. Soul used her Soul Barrier to endure the blasts of purple shots from hers, then coming out with a roundhouse kick, slamming it into a metal crate.

Happy, Yui, Hummy and Candy all watched from a distance as the five battles ensued. "Go, mama! Pretty Cure!" Yui cheered, with Hummy and Candy cheering along with her. "I've gotta help somehow." Happy muttered, "But who should I…" she looked at all the battles, wondering who to assist.

Just then, a blast got the two's attention, and they looked to see Melody's Fusion flying towards them. "Happy, look out!" Melody shouted. Happy saw it coming, and panicked. Yui was about to attack when Happy stepped forward and slammed her head directly onto the Fusion. Yui looked dumbfounded. Melody gritted her teeth, watching Happy's reckless attack.

Happy was completely dazed at this attack. The Fusion was dazed for a few seconds, then it shook it off and was about to attack when Yui jumped and slashed it repeatedly with her tessen. This gave enough time to Melody to come flying in, slamming with both feet out, and sending it bouncing to the ground and into the metal crates.

"What a way to be reckless!" Melody told Happy as she clutched her head. "Are you okay, Happy?" Yui asked. Yui looked up, her eyes in pain, but determined as she said, "I-I can handle this one!" "You got this?" Melody asked. "Yeah!" Happy replied, preparing herself.

She gathered energy into her transformation device before it bursted with energy, enveloping her hands. She then released the energy in the shape of a heart, which shrunk into her hands as it formed a heart between them. _"Precure Happy Shower!"_ cried Happy, and she unleashed the energy in her hands, which shot out like a stream of pink energy. It struck the Fusion, making it explode and disappear.

All the other Pretty Cures saw what Happy did and grouped together with her, Melody and Yui. "Not bad out there!" Beat told her. "Just try and keep your guard up next time." Muse informed after. "Uh, right! Sorry!" Happy apologized.

"All that leaves are the other Fusion remnants." Soul stated. "Let's take care of the other bits of Fusion." said Rhythm. The others nodded in agreement. "I'll help as well!" Yui declared. They all turned to see the four remaining Fusions morph together, forming one giant, purple version of the ones before. "Ah! It combined and grew bigger!" Happy exclaimed. "The bigger they are, the harder they fall!" Soul quoted, "Let's take it out before anyone sees it!"

Melody pulled out her Miracle Belltier. Rhythm pulled out her Fantastic Belltier. Beat pulled out her Love Guitar Rod and changed it into Soul Rod form. Soul produced her Keyblade. Muse detached her Cure Module as Tiry entered into the slot. Yui readied her tessen, gathering forth the winds. _"Fly forth, Tone Ring!"_ shouted Melody, Rhythm, Beat and Soul in unison, creating their rings of energy. _"Ti note's Shining Melody!"_ Muse chanted, blowing into her Cure Module which let out a note along with a cluster of yellow bubbles that turned into note shapes.

_"Precure Music Rondo!"_ Melody shouted, unleashing her orange Tone Ring. _"Precure Music Rondo!"_ Rhythm shouted, unleashing her yellow Tone Ring. _"Precure Heartful Beat Rock!"_ Beat shouted, shooting her green Tone Ring. _"Precure Soulful Beat Rock!"_ Soul shouted, shooting her white Tone Ring. _"Precure Sparkling Shower!"_ Muse shouted, sending forth all the bubbles at once. Yui roared as she sent a blast of wind forward in a huge cyclone.

All six attacks made contact. The Tone Ring spun around even faster thanks to Yui's Whirlwind, and the bubbles morphed together, encasing the Fusion. _"3/4 beat! 1, 2, 3…"_ The five Pretty Cure chanted, waving their weapons like batons before bringing them down, shouting, _"Finale!"_ The rings and bubbles shrunk and exploded, destroying the Fusion all together.

Happy saw the attack, her mouth open wide. "Amazing!" she gasped. "There's bound to be more fragments of Fusion out there." Beat guessed. "I agree. The battles not over until they are all gone." Soul agreed, "But now we need to know where they are."

"I wasn't expecting them to seek each other out and re-form like that. What an uncouth foe." Muse stated. "I have a feeling that there's something that's controlling them, guiding them together." Yui assumed, "It must be the core of Fusion. We take that part out, we can stop them for good." "Then we'd better keep searching for it." said Soul.

Just then, they heard voices coming from behind, and getting closer. "I wonder what caused that explosion we heard." said one voice. "Mama!" Yui whispered. "Right. We'd better move." Soul told the other Suite Pretty Cure. Without Happy noticing, they picked up Hummy and Yui and jumped to another stack of metal crates.

Happy greeted whoever was coming near, and turned to notice them aways from her. "Wait! You're leaving?!" she called out. "We're going to look for other parts of Fusion." Rhythm told her. "You'd better do the same as well." Soul added. "See you around, Happy!" Melody waved to her before the six girls and cat took off to somewhere they could transform out. "They were so cool!" said Happy, watching them leave.

* * *

**Chapter 4: The Core**

It was getting pretty late in the day, so the girls decided to call it quits. Apart from the ones they fought, there had been no others they could find at the moment. Still, Asuna assured them that they at least started on destroying them, and that it was one step forward to victory. She learned that back in Aincrad.

They rented a room in a hotel in the city, and spent the evening talking to one another, Asuna and Yui setting up battle plans for the team to go by when encountering a Fusion, while Hibiki and the others exchanged stories on what Asuna missed during the time she left them. Asuna and Yui were quite fascinated at what they had dealt with, from discovering Cure Muse's identity when she went in a disguise, from fighting the main villain, Noise, along with his deception and control on the Minor Trio, Mephisto and of course, Ellen when she was the cat, Siren. It seemed like the four had dealt with their fair of troubles, even without the involvement of Heartless, Unversed, or even Asuna.

The next morning, the girls got up and continued the search for Fusion. They found one Fusion remnant, but they quickly disposed of it. That was all they found that morning. "Jeez, where could they be hiding?" Kanade asked, looking underneath a table outside of a shop. "I'd hate to say this, but it might be impossible to find all the pieces of Fusion." Asuna muttered, looking about.

"Come on, we can't give up now!" Hibiki told the girls, "It's like Yui said yesterday; All we have to do is find the main core of Fusion, and it will be destroyed, right?" "But where do you think the core is?" Ako asked her. "That…I don't know." Hibiki answered. The others dipped their heads, wondering where they should start.

Just then, the group heard an explosion. "What was that?!" Kanade asked. "Up there!" Ellen cried as she and Hummy looked up, pointing to a lookout point above the city. The girls turned to see a large piece of Fusion up there, and five girls fighting against it.

Asuna activated her SAO eyesight so she could see a bit better. "It's definitely a Fusion." Asuna noticed, "And those other girls…they are Pretty Cure!" She then gasped when she recognized one of them. "I see Cure Happy among them!" she added, surprising the girls. "Do you think its' her friends?" Ellen asked. "Maybe." Asuna replied, looking away from the fight, "I don't recognize them from the rest of the Pretty Cures. Either way, the Fusion they are fighting is very strong."

"Let's help out Happy and her friends!" Hibiki told the girls. They nodded in response, and raced into the alleyway. From within their voices could be heard. _"Let's Play! Precure Modulation!" "Precure Soul!"_ The five girls transformed into their Pretty Cure form, and carried Yui and Hummy as they jumped high to go aid Happy.

Up at the lookout point, Happy and her four friends were panting heavily as they were facing a Fusion, who's body was incredibly large, bright blue metallic and muscular humanoid-shaped. Happy's friends had mostly similar attire, but their hairstyles and the color of their attire, eyes, hair were all different. From aways from them, Ayumi watched the five girls fight against the large Fusion. "Fu…" she muttered, looking at the scary demeanor of Fusion.

"None of our attacks are even working on this thing." Happy panted. "We're just making it stronger!" said the green Pretty Cure. "What are we gonna do?" asked the yellow Pretty Cure. The five girls had no idea what to do against it.

"Don't give up yet!" shouted Melody and Soul in unison. They leapt in from behind, landing in front of Happy and her friends. Soul lowered Yui down again while Hummy jumped from Beat's hands, racing next to Candy, who was aways from them.

"Sorry we're late!" Melody apologized. "You okay, Happy?" Yui asked. "Melody! Everyone!" Happy exclaimed happily. "They must be…" the green Pretty Cure realized. "An older Pretty Cure team!" the orange Pretty Cure finished her sentence. "It's nice to meet you." greeted the yellow Pretty Cure, "We only became Pretty Cure, see, so we're still a bit new to all this…"

"We can talk later!" Muse stopped her. "This monster is more important right now!" Soul told them, "So new or not, we have to work together to take it out!" "Right!" agreed the rest of the girls. "Mama, I'll fight with you, too!" Yui declared, producing her tessen. Soul smiled at Yui, nodding in approval. _Why?_ Ayumi thought to herself, _Why are the Pretty Cure fighting Fu?_ Fusion raised its' body a bit, ready to strike. The eleven girls readied to strike back at full force.

They were about to come at each other when Ayumi shouted, "Don't do it!" This halted everyone in their tracks, including Fusion. Happy stumbled behind Melody, knocking into her and making both of them collapse. "Seriously?" Melody asked. "My bad…" moaned the dizzy Happy. Soul and Yui looked to Ayumi, who was racing to where Fusion was. "Did she stop us?" Yui asked. "Why?" Soul wondered.

Ayumi got in between the Pretty Cures and Fusion, her arms spread out to protect Fusion. "Please don't!" she begged to the girls, "Don't hurt Fu! Please!" Fusion looked down at Ayumi, surprised. "We're not doing this to hurt him." Beat told Ayumi. "Fu? Do you mean Fusion?" the yellow Pretty Cure asked. Fusion surprisingly shrunk down and changed to a slightly dark yellow color, looking similar to what Patina, the magic frog looked like in Yusnaan.

"Fu is my friend, and he means a lot to me." Ayumi told them, "So please, leave him alone!" She knelt down and picked up the small Fusion, holding it close. "My poor Fu." she muttered, vibrating slightly. "Ayumi!" Fu muttered, grasping her arm with its' stubby hands. The Pretty Cures and Yui all looked at one another, not sure what to make of this situation.

"Do you know what he really is?" Rhythm asked. "Do you remember the monster that attacked the city yesterday?" Soul asked, "That monster was Fusion, and your friend is a piece of that monster." "To be more precise, that's the core of Fusion." Yui corrected her, drawing the other's attention, "It acted differently to the other pieces of Fusion we fought, and is probably the thing that was causing the other pieces of Fusion to go amok."

Ayumi pulled Fusion away from her and looked down at it, who looked up, scared of her abandoning her. "Please, hand Fusion over to us." Muse told her. Ayumi pulled Fusion back in, shaking her head in disagreement. "It's existence is a danger to not only yourself, but this entire city." Muse continued.

Ayumi looked to the girls, then said, "But Fu is my friend! I'm not letting you have him!" Ayumi got up and started to run away. "Wait!" Happy cried, and she jumped after Ayumi, attempting to stop her. Fusion saw her coming, and made its' body snake-like, smacking Happy and sending her flying backwards. The others were running behind as they saw her fall. "Happy!" cried Melody. Soul jumped out of the way as Happy crashed to the ground, creating a dust cloud on impact.

Soul flew towards a light pole, produced her Keyblade and used it to swing herself around it, flying towards the path Ayumi was taking. She skidded to a halt in front of Ayumi, who stopped at the sight of her. Soul had her arms out wide. "I'm sorry, but I can't let you any further with Fusion!" she told her, "I'm doing this for your own good, so please, give Fusion to us!"

"No!" Ayumi barked, holding Fusion tightly to her, "Fusion is my ONLY friend! Even if you are a Pretty Cure, I can't let you take him away from me!" Ayumi raced at Soul, who was surprised at her daring to come at her. She lowered her guard, and Fusion struck Soul, sending her flying. "Don't hurt Ayumi!" Fusion warned Soul, who was surprised to hear it speak like that. She was sprawled out on the ground, and she sat up to see Ayumi disappearing down a flight of stairs, with Fusion at hand.

"Soul!" Beat cried as Melody and Happy led the group to her side. "Are you okay, mama?" Yui asked. Melody and Happy hoisted Soul to her feet. "I'm fine." she replied, then looked towards where Ayumi disappeared, a look of sympathy crossed her face. "Ayumi…" Happy muttered. "We'd better search for her." the blue Pretty Cure told the group.

For the next half hour, the girls searched all over for Ayumi and Fusion, wondering where they went, and confused at her words. How come she felt Fusion, a monster that had the power and mind to level the city, was a friend of hers? It didn't make sense to them. They came back together on top of an old building. At that point, Soul reverted back to Asuna again. The Suite Pretty Cure team got to know Happy's friends. The orange Pretty Cure was Cure Sunny. The yellow Pretty Cure was Cure Peace. The green Pretty Cure was Cure March. And the blue Pretty Cure was Cure Beauty. Their entire group was called the Smile Pretty Cure. Happy also told Ayumi's name to the group.

"I wasn't hearing things, was I?" Melody asked as the sky started to turn gray on them, "She DID say Fusion was her friend, right?" "Do you think she meant it?" Happy asked. "Regardless of whether or not she meant it, we can't let that thing roam free." Muse told the group. They all knew she was right about that. All except for Yui, that is.

"I was just thinking." Yui muttered, drawing the group's attention, "Maybe Fusion- I mean, Fu- isn't really as bad as we think." "What do you mean?" Beauty asked. "Fusion caused a lot of destruction before." Muse told her, "That thing must be stopped, whether it's bad or not."

"But think about it." Yui said, turning to them, "If Fusion's core was really evil, why would it go out of its' way to protect Ayumi? Why didn't it attack her when it had a chance?" "Fusion had its' reasons. didn't it?" Asuna assumed, turning to Happy, "When Fusion attacked you, did you do anything to provoke it?" "No, not that I could think of." Happy replied, pondering on the moment, "We each introduced ourselves, then I got to talking to my friends aways from her before I heard it saying something." "If I remember, it said we made Ayumi sad." March recalled.

Asuna pondered on all the clues given, then recalled the moment she tried stopping Ayumi. _"Fusion is my ONLY friend! Even if you are a Pretty Cure, I can't let you take him away from me!"_ Those words struck her at that moment, and she came to a realization. "Maybe Ayumi was jealous of you." she said. "Jealous?" Happy asked. "She was jealous of seeing you with your friends, and that's what triggered Fusion's core to attack you." The group looked to one another. Maybe Fusion wasn't as bad as they thought.

"Reset!" boomed a deep and familiar voice. This drew the girls' attention as they looked about. Large pieces of Fusion started rising from the ground, like cobras coming out of their baskets. "Reset!" the voice said again, and again. It kept saying that over and over, and more pieces of Fusion started rising along the ground. Then a bright light started to shine on top of the tallest tower in Yokohama, and the dark pieces of Fusion were attracted to it. With every building the Fusion pieces hit, it instantly vanished without a trace.

The moment all the pieces got in close, they scattered about, deleting all the city building it could get to. More pieces of Fusion appeared out of the ground, morphing into dark, metallic blobs that moved all across the city. People were panicking and trying to evacuate from the city as fast as they could. Ayumi was going the opposite direction, racing towards the tower where Fusion's core was at. "Fu!" Ayumi cried, "My Fu, stop!"

* * *

**Chapter 5: Race to Fu**

"This is bad!" Sunny muttered as the girls watched the travesty of what was happening from up above. "We have to stop Fusion from hurting the townspeople!" Rhythm told the group, "Let's stop the Fusions as best as we can!" "Right!" the team replied, and they jumped off the building to the ground, and started fighting against the Fusion remnants.

They were a lot harder to get rid of than the others. Before, the girls wanted the Fusion pieces to appear so they could destroy them. Now, they were having difficulty fighting so many.

What's more, the pieces were clever. Asuna unleashed her Waterga spell on one of the Fusion remnants, but it absorbed the attack, making itself bigger. Muse tried the same thing with her Sparkling Shower, but it absorbed that attack, too. "Dammit!" Asuna snarled. "Our magical attacks aren't working against them!" Muse noticed. "It's just absorbing our power and growing even larger!" Rhythm stated.

Ayumi was at the corner of the building they were at, watching and hearing what they said. She then recalled she had told Fu before that it should eat to grow big and strong. _Is this all my fault?_ Ayumi thought to herself, traumatized at what was happening.

At this point, Happy was racing along the other side of the building, passing by Ayumi. She then turned to see Ayumi standing there and changed course. "Ayumi!" Happy greeted her, getting everyone else's attention. "You're that girl who was with Fusion, right?" Sunny asked as the Smile Pretty Cures gathered around her. Yui also joined their group. "Where's your little Fusion?" Peace asked, "Is he not with you?" Ayumi didn't answer.

"Is that him up on top of the tower?" Beauty asked, looking to the light shining from the tower. Again, Ayumi didn't answer. "We ain't gonna know if you don't tell us." Sunny told her. Ayumi's mind wandered to where Fu was at. She closed her eyes and passed the girls, trying to run away.

"Ayumi!" Yui stopped her, "You wanted to talk to us about something, didn't you?" Ayumi stood there, not sure how to answer. "That is why you came looking for us, isn't it?" Happy asked.

For a while, Ayumi didn't turn around nor speak to them. Then she sobbed, "Please… Please, help me!" She turned to them with tears in her eyes. "You have to stop Fu!" she begged to them, "I never meant for any of this to happen! I didn't really want it all to disappear! I was just mad and confused, and…" Ayumi placed her hands to her face as she continued, "Then Fu started talking about making my wish come true."

"Then he's doing this for you?" Beauty asked. "It's like when you got jealous for Happy having friends." Yui recalled, "So, in a way, Fu was just protecting you, trying to make you happy by getting rid of the conflict." "This isn't Fu's fault!" Ayumi told them, "I'm the one to blame for everything!"

Happy walked forward and had Ayumi open her eyes to her. "All right then, we'd better go tell Fu how you really feel! We'll just go tell Fu what you really want!" "It won't work." Ayumi retorted. "Why's that?" Happy asked. "I keep calling to him, but he never answers me."

"Then your gonna have ta keep shouting for him, aren't cha? Till he finally gets it." Sunny told her. "Unless you tell him how you really feel, he'll never understand." March added. "I'm not like you, though." Ayumi responded, "You're all Precure. You're strong, and brave, and…" "I'm not a Precure." Yui told her, walking up close to her, "I'm just as strong as you are. But even I wouldn't give up in a situation like this. Being one of them doesn't make you any braver."

"Yui is right." said Muse as she and the rest of the Suite Pretty Cure team walked towards them, "We didn't become Pretty Cure because we were strong. We became Pretty Cure because we had people we wanted to protect!" "What matters is what's in your heart." Beat told them. "And what you're soul is saying." Asuna added, "After all, Fusion is your friend, isn't he?"

Ayumi thought about all the good times she and Fu had in the past couple days, meeting each other, playing together, seeing all the sights. Her eyes formed more tears in her eyes as she answered, "Yes." "And when a friend does something wrong, or makes a mistake, it's your job to step in and stop them." Melody stated.

"It was the same for me and Beat." Asuna stated, holding Beat's hand, "She use to be controlled by someone bad. When she was free, she was confused on what was right, anymore. I saw her as a friend, and helped her through the tough times. Now, we understand one another more than we ever did before." Beat smiled at Asuna, glad to hear her say such things about her. "Now I'm gonna ask you the same question that I asked her." Asuna told Ayumi, "What is it do you want to do, right now?"

Ayumi looked to the tower where Fu was at, then looked down. "I… I want to talk to Fu." she answered, "I want to tell him how I really feel!" "Then let's go tell him!" Happy declared, "We'll be right there to help you! Right?" The others nodded in agreement. "Let's do this together!" Melody added. "We'll unlock the pathway to your bonded hearts!" Asuna finished. Ayumi smiled at the team, then bowed to them. "Thank you all so much!" she told them. "Then let's get movin'!" Sunny declared.

The group of girls ran out towards the tower, racing up a street bridge towards their destination. Asuna activated her Precure Soul Drive again, entering as Cure Soul. Another Fusion piece got in the path, morphing into a muscular humanoid form.

"Let's do this, Rhythm!" Melody told her friend. "Okay, Melody!" Rhythm replied. The two charged forward with Melody in the lead. Melody countered the blows from its' fists, distracting it enough for Rhythm to attack. Then Soul and Beat came to either side while Muse fell from above, and simultaneously attacked the Fusion, destroying it. "Ayumi, run for it!" Rhythm told her. Ayumi did what she was told, with the Smile Precure running behind.

As Beat and Soul sent the remaining pieces of Fusion down to the ground below on one end and Muse and Yui did the same on the other, more Fusion pieces popped up to attack some more. "Beat! Soul! Muse! Yui!" Melody shouted, and she and Rhythm joined the four in their fights. The Suite Pretty Cure team kept attacking the Fusion, destroying them and preventing them from blocking Ayumi's path. One piece almost got to her, but March and Beauty stopped it, destroying it into pieces.

"Ayumi, are you okay?" Happy asked, then saw the tears in Ayumi's eyes. "Fu…" she muttered, "Have you already forgotten who I am?" "That's not true!" Happy denied. "There's still some distance between you two." Beauty told her, "I believe he's merely unable to ascertain your identity. With a little more proximity, I'm sure he'll realize that it's you." "But can I really make it all the way there?" Ayumi asked in a depressed manner.

"I know what if feels like to be nervous about these things." Peace told her, "I mean, I scare easily, and I'm a bit of a crybaby." Just as Peace was being carried off by a piece of Fusion, Ayumi asked, "Even though you're a Precure?"

"Bein' a Pretty Cure doesn't mean you are any different from anyone else." Sunny told her as Peace was being saved by Melody, "We're just normal girls, ya know?" March, who was nearby, giggled at this. "Sunny? Normal? That's amusing." she giggled. "That's rude!" Sunny barked at her, "At least I'm not a mom like you or Soul!"

"What the heck do you mean by that?!" March barked back. "I think you and mama are great mothers." Yui said, leaping near them. "Oh, thank you, Yui." Soul thanked her before charging at another Fusion piece. "March does make an excellent mother." Beauty added. "Don't encourage them, Beauty!"

Ayumi was looking to Peace, who was bowing her head, thanking and apologizing to Melody, then back at March arguing with Sunny, Beauty and Yui, who were taunting her back. She couldn't help but smile and giggle at the sight of them. "Hey, you laughed, Ayumi! That's good!" Happy noticed, making the other Smile Pretty Cures notice as well, "Lighten up, okay? We're all here with you! Let's go!" Ayumi smiled as she replied, "Sure!"

"Looks like they have things taken care of." Rhythm told Melody and Yui, watching the group. Soul, Beat and Muse joined the group, agreeing as well. "Let's leave Ayumi in Happy and her friends, then." Melody stated, "While we clear the road for them!" They turned to see three Fusion pieces morph together into something dinosaur like. "Let's deal with this thing!" Soul told them, and they went to work on stopping Fusion.

* * *

**Chapter 6: Gather! Pretty Cure All-Stars!**

While Ayumi and the Smile Pretty Cures made it to the end of the bridge and raced through a park, Soul and her friends took down as many Fusion pieces as they could with physical attacks. They made it on top of a building and looked down to see the Smile Pretty Cure protect Ayumi from another large piece, but another piece came from behind, morphed into a dog, and bounded to Ayumi, who saw it coming.

t was about to pounce at her when a small fairy appeared, and magically produced a shield to rebound the hound-shaped Fusion. "Who's that fairy?" Soul asked. "I remember that one." Yui noticed, "It was with the other fairies during the first fight against Fusion!" "That looks like." Melody started, but then saw four girls appear from under some trees, with a couple more fairies at their side. "Tsubomi!" Melody gasped. "Erika!" Rhythm followed.

"Let's transform!" said the oldest girl there. "Right!" replied two of them while the blue haired girl replied, "You got it!" They pulled out their Pretty Cure devices, and with assistance from their fairies, produced round Heart Seeds. _"Precure Open my Heart!"_ they shouted together, inserting their Heart Seeds, and undergoing their transformation sequence into their Pretty Cure form.

_"The Flower spreading through the land! Cure Blossom!"_

_"The Flower flowing in the sea breeze! Cure Marine!"_

_"The Flower that bathes in the sunlight! Cure Sunshine!"_

_"The Flower that glistens under the moon's light! Cure Moonlight!"_

The four tapped their ribbons, producing hearts which they caught before shouting, _"Heartcatch Pretty Cure!"_, posing.

Ayumi was shocked to see their transformation in front of her. The same went for Soul and Yui. "There's a lot more Pretty Cure there than just them!" shouted a voice, and they looked up to see the ferret-like fairy, Tarte, standing on top of a building next to another fairy, along with Hummy and Candy. "Just watch my girls!" he told the fairies as he looked down, and Soul and the others saw four more girls appear out of some bushes.

The four girls produced some phone-like Pretty Cure devices, opening them with keys and scanning their fingers across them, making them shine. _"Change! Precure Beat Up!"_ Each of the four entered their own transformation sequence, becoming Pretty Cure.

_"The pink heart is the symbol of love! Freshly-Picked, Cure Peach!"_

_"The blue heart is the symbol of hope! Freshly-Gathered, Cure Berry!"_

_"The yellow heart is the symbol of faith! Freshly-Harvested, Cure Pine!"_

_"The red heart is the symbol of happiness! Freshly-Ripened, Cure Passion!"_

The four thrusted their fists into the air as Peach said, _"Let's…"_ before the other three joined saying, _"…Precure!"_, striking a pose.

"Phew, we made it!" sighed Peach, slumping a bit. "No thanks to your navigation skills." Berry scolded her. "Oh, come on!" moaned Peach. "We're here, aren't we?" Pine told them. "It's so easy to take the wrong road, isn't it?" Marine asked Peach, joining their group. "Sure is!" the two responded harmoniously and with smiles. "Can we deal with this later?" Passion asked them.

"My god, those girls…" moaned Soul, shaking her head at their absent-mindedness, then smiling, "Guess every Pretty Cure group has a way of spicing up any situation." "You can say that again." Muse and Yui agreed simultaneously. "Let's keep fighting, guys!" Beat told them, and they ensued the combat against the Fusion.

As they did, Soul looked down to see the Fresh Pretty Cures and the Heartcatch Pretty Cures each unleashing magical attacks onto two of the larger Fusion pieces. At first, she wondered why, since their attacks would only be absorbed. Then she noticed as the Fusion pieces grew larger, they chased after whoever attacked them, trying to get more power from them as they ran away. "I get it! It's like fishing, the bigger the bait, the more the big guys will go after!" Soul understood. She watched as Ayumi thanked them for helping her, then chased after the Smile Pretty Cure.

The Suite Pretty Cure team landed onto the ground, chasing after Ayumi and the Smile Pretty Cures, seeing a couple more Fusion pieces blocking Ayumi's path. "Yui, delete the obstacles!" Soul told her daughter. "Okay!" Yui understood, and Soul grabbed her arm, tossing her high. She spun in the air, landing in front of Ayumi and the Smile Pretty Cure, her body glowing pink. "I'll reset the path forward!" Yui told them.

Yui floated into the air by winds, which ignited into flames, enveloping her. She appeared out of them, wearing a simple white dress and carrying a super long flaming sword. She traced an arc with it over her head, then grabbed the handle with both hands. _"Program: Delete!"_ Yui shouted, and she slammed the sword down to the ground, unleashing a straight-lined shockwave towards the Fusions. The attacks struck them, and they instantly vanished without a trace. Yui landed onto the ground, her clothes reverting back to normal.

Ayumi and all the other Pretty Cures were stunned at what she had just pulled off. "How'n the heck did you do that?!" exclaimed Sunny. "You not only stopped them, but you removed them from existence!" Beauty noticed. "I can tell you some other time!" Yui replied sternly, "Right now, getting Ayumi to Fusion's core is more important!" The girls understood, and Yui led the others as they ran on ahead, with the Suite Pretty Cure close behind.

Just as they were nearing the edge of the park, some shaking stopped them in their tracks. They turned towards the harbor, where a large carrier ship was docked at. Fusion pieces came out of the water all around it, forming a large hand that lifted the ship into the air, and created a bridge with more Fusion pieces from the city, making a path for the ship to the middle of town.

"Oh, no!" Soul gasped. "Is he going to launch that boat?" Rhythm asked. The Fusion loosened its' grip on the ship, and it started moving down the path to the middle of town, and gaining momentum. "This is bad!" Melody cried, and she and the other Suite Pretty Cure jumped towards the ship. "If we don't stop the ship, and fast, the destruction is gonna be incredible!" Yui cried. "Peace, Yui, look after Ayumi!" Happy told her friends as she and the other Smile Pretty Cures joined Melody's group.

Happy's group landed seconds after Melody and Soul's group arrived. "Happy!" Melody gasped. "Let us help, too!" Happy told her. "Here it comes!" Soul warned the group, and they prepared themselves as the ship was sliding their way. They braced themselves, and caught the front of the ship. Considering the massive size of the vessel, they were sent skidding backwards, holding on for dear life as they tried stopping it. They made it slow down to a halt eventually, but the Fusion bridge was still trying to push it forward.

Yui, Peace and Ayumi watched the others struggling to prevent the ship from moving. "Is there anything we can do?!" Ayumi asked, looking to the tower. "Fu! Please, stop this!" Yui and Peace looked to her, wondering if Fu would hear her.

Just then, they saw a sparkling of lights from a rooftop. The fairies were waving some lights into the air, their voices slightly audible. "Pretty Cure! Come over here!" they called out, over and over again. Yui dug into her pocket, then pulled out the same devices the fairies were using. The Miracle Lights. She then started waving it in the air, crying out, "Pretty Cure! Come over here!" The light started to shine as she kept chanting the same line, over and over again. She knew there were more than just the Pretty Cure they saw here. There were others out there, and they needed their help.

Meanwhile, the Smile and Suite Pretty Cure were still preventing the ship from moving. Pieces of the Fusion bridge broke off and targeted them. Melody, Happy and Soul saw them coming, but couldn't do anything to stop them. "Brace yourselves!" Soul shouted, and the Fusion pieces struck them, knocking them off the bridge and onto a different building. The ship continued to move, going down its' guided path, towards the middle of town. "Stop, please!" shouted Soul, desperate to stop the tragedy.

Just then, she noticed three people at the bottom of the path. Three familiar people in fact. It was the Max Heart Pretty Cure; Cure Black, Cure White, and Shiny Luminous. With extreme strength, they stopped the ship just as it reached the bottom of the path, holding it in place without a slight sign of a struggle. "Black! White! Luminous!" cheered Soul. "They stopped the ship!" Melody exclaimed.

Another piece of Fusion was swirling above the ship, about to give it an extra shove. However, two more Pretty Cure appeared, bouncing off the skyscrapers towards it. "Bloom! Egret!" Rhythm cried, noticing the Splash Star Pretty Cure arriving. They got in the path of the Fusion piece, producing a shield and stopping it in its' track, destroying it.

More pieces of Fusion broke off from the bridge and were about to attack Black, White and Luminous, but out of the sky came six more Pretty Cure, diving down to aid them. "It's Dream and her friends!" said Beat, noticing the team of Yes! Pretty Cure 5. They split into three, and took out the Fusion pieces before they had a chance. Cure Passion of the Fresh Pretty Cure leapt in and unleashed her power of teleportation, bringing the entire ship from its' point back into the harbor again.

As the Suite and Smile Pretty Cure jumped off the building, they saw all of the Pretty Cure who aided them. "I never knew there were so many Pretty Cure!" gasped Sunny. "Believe me, I only met them all yesterday, and I'm still surprised." Soul told them. "1, 2, 3… I can't even count them!" March stated. "Including ourselves, I believe the total number amounts to twenty-nine!" Beauty told them.

They rejoined Yui, Peace and Ayumi again, looking at all of their comrades. "It's good to have friends, huh?" Peace asked. "And it's a good thing they arrived to help!" Yui added happily. "Hey, Pretty Cure!" Happy called out, "We've gotta get Ayumi here over to that tower!" she pointed to the tower in question, "Can you give us a hand?" "Okay!" they shouted in response. "We can handle any more pieces of Fusion that crop up!" Blossom told them. Ayumi was happily amazed at all the support she was given.

"Ayumi, let's go!" Happy told her. "Sure!" Ayumi responded, and she led the Suite and Smile Pretty Cure team onward while the Max Heart, Splash Star and Precure 5 passed by them, aiding in the fight against Fusion. Soul looked back at them, seeing them get to work. "Maybe this is what Gretinal was telling me." she told herself, "That help can come from all over the place, as long as you call out for it." She looked to Yui and all her friends, then continue the charge as they entered the city, nearing the tower.

* * *

**Chapter 7: The Echoing Friendship**

They crossed a couple more blocks, the bottom of the tower within view. Ayumi kept calling out for Fu in her mind, hoping for him to respond. "We're nearly there, Ayumi! Keep going!" Happy assured her. Ayumi looked to her, then saw what Happy didn't see; A piece of Fusion coming at the two like a tidal wave. "Happy! Ayumi!" Soul called out as Happy just noticed it shadow over her.

Ayumi quickly reacted by shoving Happy away, then getting swallowed by the Fusion piece, which churned and sprayed into the air like a geyser, with her still in it. "Ayumi!" Happy cried out. Hoping to hear her answer. The group tried to attack the Fusion, but it shoved them back, making it impossible for them to reach Ayumi within.

Inside the Fusion, Ayumi was being carried along with the Fusion, feeling herself fade away. _All this time, I thought I had no one to turn to._ she thought to herself, _I was so convinced that nobody could understand how I felt. But I was wrong._

Her eyes slowly opened as she continued to think,_ I know I'm not alone now! If you talk things through, then people will understand you. I know that now! Fu… I want you to know how I feel, too. And I won't…_ Her eyes snapped open, _…let anything stop me from telling you! I want to see you again, Fu!_

From outside the Fusion, the others were struggling to get back to their feet again when they saw something shine within the top of the Fusion. It drew all the attention of the Pretty Cure in the city. The energy built up inside the Fusion, then it exploded, dissolving it. "It's wiping away the darkness." Melody gasped. "Ayumi." Happy followed. "That light. It looks like…" Soul realized.

The ball of light hung in the air for a few seconds, then it bursted out, revealing Ayumi completely transformed. Her hair became platinum blond and with longer pigtails. Her attire was similar to that of the Pretty Cures, white, with red, pink and aqua green lines and pieces. She opened her eyes, revealing them a brighter color than before. _"Let my feelings resound! Cure Echo!"_ she shouted, striking a pose.

"Cure Echo!" Happy exclaimed. "Ayumi became a Pretty Cure?!" Melody said happily. "Her feelings gave birth to her a new power!" Soul added, amazed at the new power Ayumi, now Echo, gained. "She is now the thirtieth Pretty Cure!" Yui cheered.

Echo floated to the ground as the girls gathered around her. Echo looked at herself, seeing her new look. "How did I become a Pretty Cure?!" she asked, looking at her hands. "Because there's a fire burning deep within your heart, just like all of us." Beat told her. "The bonds you've made with all of us, including Fu, and your wish to protect them reacted to your heart, bringing forth the power you need to become a Pretty Cure." Soul told her. "Any girl who bears that kindness in her heart can become a Pretty Cure!" Muse finished. Echo smiled at the idea of how it came about.

"Now let's go see Fu!" Happy told her. "Yeah!" Echo agreed, and the group raced onwards to the tower, where Fu still waited. "I wonder…" Yui started, drawing Soul's attention, "If I could do that, too… Wanting to protect everyone dear to me as strongly as Ayumi, do you think I could be a Pretty Cure? I mean, even though I am an artificial intelligence?"

Soul placed a hand on her head, and Yui looked at her. "I'm sure you can do it." she replied, "And if not, then use the powers already blessed upon you. After all, you are our daughter. You have already proved your potential. It'll just take time before you realize it."

Yui smiled at her mother, then looked at the path ahead and gasped, "Look out!" A black fog of energy was coming at them. They were sucked into it as it blasted in their faces. "I can't see where I'm going!" cried out Happy. "Stick together, you guys!" Soul cried out to them.

As soon as the fog passed, they looked up and around them. Echo wasn't with them anymore. "Echo?" Happy asked, looking about. "She must've gone further in!" Rhythm guessed. "She can't see where she is going." said Beauty, "How will she reach Fusion?"

Yui dug into her pocket and pulled out her Miracle Light again, making it shine as she raised it high. "We can still support Echo out here!" Yui told the others, "Just make sure she doesn't give up, and believe she can reach her!" "That's right!" Soul agreed, "Our hearts are connected to her, so we can reach out to her!" The others agreed as well, and they started cheering for Echo. "Don't give up, Echo!" Happy shouted. "Keep going, Echo!" cheered Melody. "You can do it!" Soul cried out. All of them continued to shout and support her all the way.

Just then, sparkling lights started to shoot from the sky, down into the black fog. These same lights shot out of their own bodies, shooting into the fog. "These light!" gasped Yui. "So many people are supporting Echo!" Melody gasped. "Everyone is helping her guide to Fu!" Happy said happily.

Inside the black fog, Echo was happily watching as so many lights were pouring from the sky and around her, forming a shining pathway upwards, blasting away the fog, towards where Fu was at. Echo looked into the sky, smiling. "Everyone, thank you!" she said out loud. She then stepped onto the pathway, and it made her float upwards into the sky, towards the top of the tower.

When she reached the top, she saw Fu floating there, bigger than she last saw her, but about the size of a newborn child. His eyes were closed as Echo landed on the roof of the tower, directly in front of Fu. "Fu! It's me, Ayumi!" she spoke to him. Fu opened its' eyes and looked up at her. "Ayumi…" Fu realized.

"Fu, you did all this for me, didn't you?" she asked, "I'm so sorry. You don't have to anymore!" "I haven't finished resetting everything yet." Fu responded. "I don't want you to!" Echo told him, bending down a bit until they were at eye-level, "It was all my fault to begin with! I couldn't bring myself to explain how I felt, so I blamed everything on my new surroundings."

"Ayumi is Fu's friend." said Fu, "I'll make friend's wish come true." "We already have." Echo responded with a smile, "You were there for me when I needed someone to talk to. You played with me and were always by my side. What I really wanted was to have a friend like you. That's all I could wish for."

"A friend?" echoed Fu. "I want to thank you for being my friend, Fu." Echo thanked the little guy. "Then, Ayumi is okay?" Fu asked, "You not scared? You not sad?" "I'm okay!" Echo responded, "Because I've got you now." Fu floated closer to Echo, and she grabbed ahold of him gently, holding him close. "I love you, Fu." she told him.

Though it was hard to noticed, Fu's face settled into a happy one, and his body glowed brightly. The light shot into the sky, and pushed away the dark clouds in the sky, unveiling the blue sky above. The darkness in the city slowly disappeared, bringing back the light in everything again. All of the Pretty Cures looked up into the sky, watched as everything was going back to the way it was, including the buildings and the people. Echo's body was still shining as she and Fu smiled and laughed at one another. She reverted back to Ayumi again, leaving a silver ribbon that dropped to the ground at her feet.

"The city's turning back to normal." Beat stated, looking about. "I bet, in the end, that was what Fusion that was suppose to be." Soul realized, "In truth, Fusion was a kind a gentle creature. All it needed was a friend to show it."

Just then, they noticed something. A large mass of Fusion was rising into the sky, going towards Ayumi and Fu. "What's going on?!" March asked, "I thought Fusion was suppose to be good again!" "The core is fine, but the rage of the remaining Fusion is still wanting to continue destroying things!" Yui realized, "It's going out of control!" The Smile Pretty Cure jumped high towards Ayumi, leaving the others on the ground to watch.

At the top of the tower, the black Fusion was rising from the ground like a live pillar, floating close to Fu and Ayumi. "Reset…" It growled, "Reset!" "The reset is off." Fu told it, "Ayumi's wish already came true." The Fusion expanded and shot towards the two, roaring, "Reset!" Ayumi fell to her knees, protecting Fu.

As it drew close, Happy leapt in, creating a barrier with her powers. She was struggling to fight against the large mass, and she collapsed to her knees as well. However, the rest of the Smile Pretty Cure came in, forming barriers as well. "Thanks, guys!" Happy thanked them, and she got to her feet. the five continued to struggle against the large mass.

"Come on, Happy!" Melody shouted up to the top of the tower. Soul watched the five fight against the large mass, and her emotions drove her to do the next thing. She hurriedly raced forward and jumped high to where they were. "Soul!" Beat cried out. "Mama, what are you doing?!" Yui cried. "I'm doing what my heart is telling me too!" Soul replied, looking down at them before looking up at the direction she was soaring.

Soul soared high above the Smile Pretty Cure, who looked up to see her there. "Cure Soul!" Happy cried. "I promise to be there for my friends, just like they would be there for me!" Soul shouted, ready to aid the Smile Pretty Cure wherever she can.

Fu suddenly shined brightly and faded from Ayumi's arms. The light then surrounded the Smile Pretty Cure and Soul. "Fu!" cried Ayumi. "Pretty Cure…" Fu's voice called out, "Don't let him hurt Ayumi!" "I won't let you ruin their happy ending!" Happy roared at the black Fusion. "This world's bonds will forever shine, and it's gate forever sealed from the darkness!" Soul added, and she produced her Keyblade and directed at the black Fusion.

Using the powers given by Fusion, Asuna's Keyblade shined brightly as she pulled it back, and she unleashed her 'Shooting Star' Rapier Skill, which transformed into the ' Precure Fusion Star'. The thrust sent a beam of light down at the black Fusion. The barriers that the Smile Pretty Cure were producing merged and grew bigger, with Fu's light shining out. Soul and the Smile Pretty Cures roared as they used all their strength. Finally, the black Fusion was dissolving from the light the six were producing, and it roared in agony as it disappeared from existence, destroyed by the Pretty Cure and the Fusion core, Fu.

Soul landed onto the ground again, her body glowing as she reverted back to normal. She and the five Pretty Cure smiled at their accomplishment. The sparkling lights of Fu hung over the skies of Yokohama. Ayumi looked up at the sky, wondering where Fu went. "Fu? Where did you go?" she asked, getting the six girls' attention.

At this point, Fu's voice rang out in the sky. "I'll be here with you wherever you go in this city." he said, "I'll always be here, by your side." Ayumi paused for a few seconds, then she smiled as she said, "Thank you, Fu. Thank you." "I'll always be here when you need me." Fu told her, "We'll be friends forever!"

* * *

**Epilogue**

Asuna waved her Keyblade, producing the Keyhole of Bond for her and Yui to cross through. She lowered her Keyblade, and turned to see all of the Pretty Cure they met, standing there, seeing her off. Ayumi was also among them, and so were the other fairies.

"I'll be back at some point." Asuna told them, "For now, I think it's about time for us to go back home." "Can't you stay a little longer?" Happy asked, "I mean, we just started being friends." Asuna smiled at her. "What are you talking about?" she asked, "We became friends at the very beginning!" Happy couldn't help but smile at this. The other Pretty Cure giggled at this comment.

"When will you be back?" Beat asked. "Whenever you're hearts need me." Asuna replied, "And who says I can't make a visit here every once in a while. Our hearts our connected." "You'd better come back!" Marine told her, "Bring us to your world for a change!" "Maybe." Asuna giggled.

"Take care, Ayumi!" Yui waved to her, "Maybe when I come back, I can become as cool of a Pretty Cure as you are!" Ayumi blushed at this comment. "I'm not sure if cool is the right word, but thank you, Yui!" she said. "And remember one more thing." Yui added. "What's that? Ayumi asked. "No matter where we are, we're still friends, right?" Yui asked. Ayumi smiled and nodded in reply. Asuna and Yui were waved off by the Pretty Cure as the two walked into the Keyhole of Bond, and disappeared.

Asuna and Yui reappeared in the same street where they got the message from Gretinal before. They looked about, seeing if things were okay. The Keyhole of Bond disappeared behind them.

"Asuna! Yui!" cried out two voices. They turned to see Kirito and Leafa race up to the two. "Where have you guys been?" Leafa asked, "It's been over a day since we last saw you!" "Did you get that thing done with Gretinal?" Kirito asked Asuna. Asuna and Yui looked to one another, then they smiled and giggled. "I think we had a 'Pretty' good time with the job." Asuna replied.

"Come on, mama!" Yui begged her, "We should finish your homework." "Oh, crap! I forgot I still have more to do!" Asuna recalled, racing back home, "I'm starting to get as dazed as Cure Happy." Yui giggled at this as the two girls raced off, leaving Leafa and Kirito watching them go. "What happened with those two?" Leafa asked. "I really gotta go on these things with Asuna." Kirito sighed. Well, at least his girlfriend and daughter looked like they had a good time wherever they were at.

* * *

**Author: That's another episode down! Now it is time for me to tell you another anime or video game that will join the worlds of SAK: Falling Fantasy!**

**Sora: Ooh! Which one is it gonna be?**

**Author: The world is based on...**

**Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha**

**Asuna: That world is gonna replace the worlds of Pretty Cure for that story.**

**Author: Sure. But this one has a different side of seriousness to the mix. Hope you all can enjoy the next installments of SAK: Final Mix!**


	4. Leafa & Palutena's Revolting Dinner!

**Remember how I said there were sixteen episodes? I lied. I added this one to make seventeen. Since Yui and Asuna had their own episode, it's only fair that Kirito and Leafa had theirs. This one is plenty more comical, and it was made from an anime short I enjoyed. If you read the title, you are bound to know which one. Anyways, just enjoy what you read.**

* * *

_(I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Sword Art Online. All I do is form my imagination from both stories, and share it with the world!)_

**Part 1**

_(While Asuna &amp; Yui went to the Pretty Cure world)_

"…So anyway, that's where I'm going right now." Asuna told Kirito over the video phone, "I'll take Yui with me. I'm sure she would want to meet Hummy, Hibiki, Kanade and Ellen again." "I gotcha." Kirito understood, "I guess Gretinal has her reasons for having you go to the Pretty Cure world. Wish she'd ask me to join along." "Sorry. Girls only. Tell Leafa I said hi, okay?" "Sure." Kirito replied, "Have fun, okay?" Asuna smiled and nodded, then turned off her phone.

Kirito placed his phone away, then heard Leafa sigh as she came down the stair, adjusting her long hair into its' ponytail. "Man, its' so weird not having my short, black hair again in this house." she moaned. "It's not like you're not use to dealing with it before." Kirito replied, reminding her she was her avatar during the time in Sora's dimension and during the time they were traveling the worlds in their's."

"Look who's talking, Kazuto?" Leafa implied, "You're avatar looks the same as your real life person! But me…" "Yours does, too." Kirito replied, "Since you have your old avatar back, you look exactly the same as you do in real life now." Leafa looked at her brother discouragingly for her lack of sympathy.

"If you want to go back to your old look, maybe you should try cutting it." Kirito suggested. "No way!" Leafa replied, "I like my hair in this form. It'll just takes some time getting use to, that's all." Kirito smiled at Leafa. He didn't really understand Leafa's predicament, but he believed she can make it through it.

Just then, something started to glow in Kirito's pocket. The crystal, similar to the one Asuna had, started to glow. Leafa noticed it when Kirito pulled it out of his pocket. "Is that from Mistress Gretinal?" Leafa asked. "Only one way to find out." Kirito replied, and he activated the crystal. Sure enough, Gretinal's face appeared from the crystal.

"Hello there, Kirito, Leafa." Gretinal greeted them. "Hi, Mrs. Gretinal." Leafa greeted her. "Hey, Gretinal." Kirito replied, not caring for formalities, "So, what's up? I heard you sent Asuna and Yui to a different world." "Yes, and you two will be doing the same for me." Gretinal responded, "And it is the upmost important mission." At this, Leafa and Kirito were surprised and serious at this. They listened intently for the mission Gretinal was gonna send them on.

_(Cue 'Let's Wondering' opening)_

"…What?!" Leafa exclaimed after hearing their mission. "You want us to go to a dinner party with Palutena?!" Kirito asked, not sure why this was considered an IMPORTANT mission, let alone a mission. "You see, it's summer time in Skyworld." Palutena sighed, "At that time, she goes to her summer-palace and I come to have dinner with her." "She has a summer-palace?" Leafa asked incredulously. "She's the Goddess of Light. What do you expect?" Kirito retorted.

"However, what with the dangers that lie ahead, and my preparation of the Mark of Mastery for the two of you and Asuna, I'm afraid I can't leave the Realm of Arrival to meet her." Gretinal sighed, "Palutena is a dear friend of mine, and I don't want to disappoint her. That is why I believe the two of you would be perfect for going in my place, so please do this for me."

"Why should we go to a dinner party that you couldn't even make it to?" Kirito asked, "Besides, it's just one dinner. Surely, you can reschedule it for another time." "Oh, Kazuto!" Leafa moaned, "Why don't we just go and have ourselves a good time in Skyworld? Besides, you can fully introduce me to Pit and Palutena. I've never met them outside of that battle with Oberon. Come on, it'll be fun!"

Kirito looked to Leafa with a 'Do I really have to?' kind of look. She nodded at him, then Kirito sighed, "Okay, fine. I'll go." "All right!" cheered Leafa. "Thank you, Kirito." Gretinal thanked him, "I'll inform Palutena that you are coming."

"Okay, but how do we get there?" Kirito asked. "Use the Keyholes of Bond." Gretinal answered, "Since you and Sora have locked the Keyhole there, you have the power to cross the dimension over to Skyworld with it." "Understood." Kirito replied. Gretinal smiled at Kirito before her face disappeared from the crystal.

"I wonder what kind of food they'll be serving at Skyworld?" Leafa asked. "Probably something we've never tasted before." Kirito replied, "Either way, we'd better get a move on. Let's grab our stuff and go."

It took them a few minutes for each of them to change into their special garments. Asuna had made a set of her own sandwiches during their training, and they still had some left, so they decided to bring it along. They left their mom a note saying they would be having dinner with their friends before they walked out to the front yard. Kirito produced his Elucidator Keyblade, waving it forward. He produced the Keyhole of Bond with his Keyblade, locking in the destination; Skyworld. Leafa and Kirito stepped through the Keyhole, and disappeared from sight.

When they appeared, they found themselves on a dirt road within a vast plain, with forests and mountains in the distance. "I thought this place would be set more in the sky?" Leafa asked, looking a bit disappointed. "Maybe her summer palace is in the Earthworld of this place." Kirito replied, "And that must be it."

He was pointing to a large castle right along the path. It was very tall tower in the center of it. It had white stone walls with gold and blue roofs and stones decorating it. There were many pillars that surrounded the pathway towards it. It was just as awe-inspiring as Palutena's temple. "This is her summer home?!" Leafa gasped. "I wonder why she would even want a summer palace in the first place?" Kirito thought out loud.

The two walked along the dirt road towards the long staircase that led to the entrance. It strangely reminded Kirito of when he walked up the steps towards the World Tree to take on the Grand Quest. At the front of the gates stood some Strong-arm Centurions, guarding the entrance. They looked suspiciously at the two, like how they did when they came to Palutena's temple. "We came here on invitation." Kirito informed them. "Mistress Gretinal sends her apology for not being able to come, so she asked us to come in her place." Leafa added.

The centurions looked at one another, then nodded in confirmation. "We've been expecting you two." One of the centurions told them, "Please, walk this way." They opened up the large door, and two smaller bowman centurions waited on the other side. Kirito and Leafa followed the two, looking all about the interior of the palace.

"Amazing…" Leafa gasped, "It's like it came straight out of ALFheim, and made even better!" Kirito had to admit that the architecture was similar, though since most of ALFheim Online was based on Norse Mythology and this world was more or less based on Greek Mythology, he doubt the two styles would mix.

After several minutes of walking, one of the centurions said, "The kitchens are over there." He was pointing to an area in the corner of the palace exterior, "Captain Pit and Lady Palutena should be in there." "Thanks a bunch!" Leafa replied. Kirito nodded in confirmation, then the centurions left them.

"Palutena, can you hear me?" Kirito called out, remembering he could speak to her telepathically, "It's me, Kirito. I've brought my sister with me, and we're just nearing the kitchens." "_Oh, hello there, Kirito."_ Palutena responded to him, "_Gretinal just informed me she was bringing you in her place. She promised to have dinner with me another time, so I'm not too upset. I'll have Pit welcome you in."_ Kirito smiled a bit. At least she wasn't taking it too badly.

When they arrived, the doors to the kitchen were open, and Pit was waiting at the entrance. "Kirito!" Pit greeted him, "I'm so glad I got to see you again." "Me, too, Pit." Kirito responded, then waving a hand to his sister, "I'm sure you met her in the battle against Oberon, but this is my sister, Suguha. She also goes by the name 'Leafa'. Pick either one." Although she already had these two names before, she still found it awkward to be referred to by two different names all the time, now."

"Okay, then I'll just call you Leafa." Pit decided, raising a hand, "Nice to meet ya. I'm Pit, captain of Palutena's guard." Leafa smiled and shook his hand in response. Pit then noticed the basket of sandwiches in her other hand. "Hey, are those for us?" he asked. "Yeah." Leafa replied, holding up the basket and revealing what was inside, "These are sandwiches made by Asuna." "Asuna's cooking is the best!" Kirito told Pit. "Oh, I can't wait!" Pit moaned, drooling a bit at the sight of the sandwiches, "Let's go inside so we can see what Palutena is making." "She can cook?" Kirito asked as Pit led him and Leafa inside.

The kitchen was large, with all the necessities needed for a kitchen, including several stoves that looked a bit different from the standard one. Palutena was at the center table, flipping through some sort of hologram cookbook, which looked like a touch pad, showing all of the different kinds of meals they could serve. There were a few bowls of different kinds of vegetables on the table as well.

"Hey there, Palutena." Kirito greeted her. "Oh, hello there, Kirito." Palutena greeted him, "And you must be Leafa. It's nice to meet you." "Nice to meet you as well, Lady Palutena." Leafa bowed back. "These guys brought some delicious-looking sandwiches with them!" Pit told Palutena, "I can't wait to find out what they taste like!" "You won't be disappointed." Kirito told him.

"So what are you making?" Leafa asked, looking at the cookbook Palutena was scanning through. "I'm just trying to figure that out." Palutena responded, "It has to be something healthy and delicious. Let's see here…" She scanned through the book a bit more, "Too sweet… Too spicy…" She then stopped on one meal, "Ah, here we go! Vegetable Surprise with a side of Skyworld Soup!" "Sounds good." Leafa stated. "I wonder what the surprise is?" Kirito asked.

"Veggies AGAIN, Lady Palutena?" Pit moaned. "What's wrong with eating your vegetables?" Kirito asked him. "Palutena's been a little veggie crazy for some time." Pit whispered, "I just want to have a burger or something." "Oh, Pit." Palutena giggled, "Keep eating hamburgers, and you'll turn into one." "What?" Pit said in surprise, "You're not serious about that, are you?" "Why? You've turned into a tempura shrimp before." Kirito reminded him. "Are YOU serious?" Leafa asked him. Kirito nodded.

"Don't worry, Pit. I was just joking." Palutena told the angel, tapping at the meal to get the instructions on how to make it all. "I can help you make the meal." Leafa told Palutena, "So what do we need?" "Let's see, here." Palutena muttered, "The secret ingredient is a drop of Rejuvenator, to make the carrots fantastically flavorful. To give them that extra zing."

Palutena went to a different shelf and pulled out a small, brown bottle. She brought the bowl of carrots to her, and very slowly placed one drop of the Rejuvenator onto the carrots. The carrots glowed slightly when the drop touched them. "Whoa…" Leafa gasped, wondering what kind of difference the potion would make.

"How about donuts? Or cake, Lady Palutena?" Pit asked, trying to add something he liked. "Can't you just be satisfied with the meal Lady Palutena is making for you?" Leafa asked, looking at Pit in a discouraging way. "Pit, leave cuisine to a Goddess." Palutena told him, "I know what I'm doing. Angels and humans cannot live by breadsticks alone."

Unfortunately, the Goddess was failing to notice that she was pouring a lot more than just one drop of Rejuvenator into the bowl of carrots, which continued to glow from the potion. She completely emptied the whole potion into the bowl.

Pit had his head dipped in despair, so he didn't notice. Leafa was still looking at Pit. Kirito saw the accident Palutena failed to notice, and was about to warn the two ladies when Palutena gasped, "Hold on, that reminds me. Pit, I need you to go out and gather the very ripest tomatoes for my Vegetable Surprise. Kirito, can you help Pit out, too?" "Back in a flash, Lady Palutena." Pit replied, "C'mon, Kirito!"

Kirito looked to the bowl of carrots, and saw them twitching. He wondered if that was suppose to happen. "Go on, Kazuto!" Leafa told him, "We got it covered in the kitchen!" Kirito looked to his sister, and decided to let her deal with the problem. He followed Pit out of the kitchen.

"So what's the next step?" Leafa asked Palutena, who scanned her finger across the pad to see the next instructions. "Here it is; Slice and dice the carrots, then sauté till they're nice and…" The two girls turned to where the carrots were at, but they discovered that the bowl was flipped on its' side, and the carrots gone. "What the?" Palutena asked. "Where did they go?" Leafa asked, picking up the bowl and looking into it.

The two girls looked around till they noticed where the carrots were, and it was something Leafa didn't believe at first. The carrots were literally jumping onto the cupboard near them, walking along next to where the dishes were at, and jumping down to the crates next to the cupboard. How were they doing this? They had grown hands, legs and one green eye.

"Is this the kind of 'zing' you were looking for?" Leafa asked Palutena in a puzzled manner. "Not exactly…" Palutena replied, but then smiled as she approached them, "Aren't you all just the cutest?" Leafa was surprised she could be so calm about this. The carrots all stopped and turned to Palutena. "You are on the menu, so slicey-dicey, and then it'll be time for a nice, hot oil bath."

Leafa wondered if the carrots would actually obey this. Sure enough, they did not, but instead retaliated by throwing a plate at Palutena. She ducked to avoid it. Leafa quickly produced her Sylphwing Keyblade to block a few more plates, then saw they were throwing knives and other sharp objects as well. Both she and Palutena ran behind one of the ovens and ducked to avoid getting hit.

"This is a vegetable revolution, and they want my head on the chopping block." Palutena moaned. Leafa had grabbed ahold of the Rejuvenation bottle before, and looked into it. "Lady Palutena, how much potion was there left in the Rejuvenation bottle?" she asked. "It was completely full." Palutena replied. "Then here's your problem." Leafa scolded her, waving the bottle in her face, "You placed the entire bottle of potion into the bowl of carrots!" "Oops…" Was all Palutena could say. "I'm no expert, but shouldn't a Goddess keep an eye out for how much of an ingredient they put into a recipe?!" Leafa barked.

The two stopped and looked to see one of the carrots reach the dial on the oven they were right behind, and turned it onto max heat. The siren sounded as the oven overheated, and exploded, with Leafa and Palutena still close to it. They came out of the smoke, covered in burns and soot, both of their hair frizzy and afro-like from the burning heat. "It seems they've grown some brains, as well." Leafa muttered. "This is a case of too many cooks in the kitchen." Palutena growled.

They both shook their heads of the soot, straightening their hair at the same time. They glared at the live carrots, who looked panicked at angering the two of them and ran away from them. "Let me remind you who eats who!" Palutena barked at them, and she chased after the carrots. "These carrots are gonna pay for that!" Leafa added, following Palutena.

They chased the carrots out of the kitchen, onto a different pathway than where the two came in. By examination, there must've been about three dozen carrots or so that were alive. "Get back here! You're my dinner!" Palutena barked at them. "Usually, this situation wouldn't be as weird if it was in the virtual world!" Leafa stated, her Keyblade ready to strike the carrots.

They turned along the marble road and saw a row of statues on either side of the pathway, but no sign of the carrots. "Where did they go?" Leafa asked, looking about as they ran. "First my dinner fights, then it hides?" Palutena asked, "Maybe they finally understood the food chain."

The moment they said that, they her something heavy fall from behind. They turned to see one of the statues fall on the marble road, which was unfortunately at an incline. It started rolling down the path, chasing after the two girls, who had no way of getting around it in time. "You gotta be kidding me?!" Leafa exclaimed as she and Palutena ran with all their might, screaming as they were being pursued by the runaway statue.

They saw further down the pathway a large and long rope bridge, with a large column holding it up halfway. Leafa felt it would not stop the large statue, but break it, with the two falling along with half the bridge. "Lady Palutena, please tell me you can fly?!" she begged. "Not without time and preparation!" Palutena replied, "And I don't think this statue will let us have that time!" "Ugh!" Leafa moaned, finding Palutena more and more useless by the second. Leafa produced her Sylph fairy wings, grabbed Palutena by her waist, and carried the two upwards just as they reached the suspension bridge.

The two flew over the bridge as the statue caught the poles holding the bridge to the ledge, and it flew upwards to meet them. "Pull up! Pull up!" Palutena cried. "I'm trying!" Leafa moaned, carrying the two up just enough to avoid getting hit by the statue. The statue bounced off the suspension bridge, about to meet them again.

"Can't you go any faster?!" Palutena asked. "I'm trying!" Leafa moaned, narrowly avoiding the statue, "It's not easy to fly at high speeds when you are carrying something heavy." "Excuse me?!" Palutena snarled, a blood vessel appearing on her head, "Are you trying to imply something?" "I didn't mean it that way!" Leafa barked back.

Through their argument, they failed to notice the statue coming up from underneath. It struck the two in midair, and sent them flailing in the air, falling back down as the bridge started to collapse and break apart. Leafa grabbed ahold of one of the side ropes while Palutena's foot got caught on a different piece of rope, and she was hung upside down as they were carried along with the swing of the bridge, screaming. Afterwards, the two girls moaned at the situation they were in.

_"__Lady Palutena, can you hear me?"_ Pit asked Palutena through telepathy. "Wh-what is it, Pit?" Palutena asked, trying to act normal. "_How's that Vegetable Surprise coming along?"_ Pit asked, _"I'm starting to look forward to it."_ "_Yeah, me too."_ Kirito agreed, _"Is it almost done?" _"Oh, its' coming. Chop-chop-chop! Sauté until tender! Couldn't be better!" Palutena responded. _"Is Sugu helping you out?_" Kirito asked. "Oh, she's hanging in there." Palutena responded, looking up to see Leafa doing just that; Holding on for dear life on the rope.

"_Well, the tomatoes are on the way._" Pit informed her, "_We've gotten the ripest ones, just like you asked. And my stomach is really grumbling."_ Palutena panicked a bit at this. "Wait, don't come back yet!" Palutena told them, and this got Leafa's attention. _"Why not?_" Kirito asked. "I need another ingredient." Palutena answered, "Something with a little dazzle, sizzle, pizazz! Like a…" "A squash!" Leafa suggested. "Yeah, a squash!" Palutena agreed, "Get me one of those!"

"_Squash? I swear I saw some in your kitchen._" Pit recalled. "I see all, and I don't see any squash here!" Palutena retorted. "If you saw all, we wouldn't be in this mess." Leafa muttered to herself without Palutena hearing. _"Okay, okay!_" Pit replied as the rope bridge reached the peak of its' swing, and swung back the other way again, giving Leafa a foothold on the flying bridge. _"We'll be back in a second._" Kirito told them, and their communication cut off.

"How'd it go?" Leafa asked Palutena. "I bought us a little more time." Palutena responded, "Now its' time for a quick trip down the produce isle." "The instructions said we needed to slice and dice those carrots." Leafa stated, "And I got a knack for cutting things up. Let's get to work!"

As soon as the broken bridge was within range, Palutena untangled her leg from the rope as Leafa jumped off and produced her fairy wings, grabbing ahold of Palutena's arms, and the two landed at the start of the bridge, where all the carrots were at, shocked to see them still alive.

Leafa readied her Keyblade as Palutena produced her magic staff. "_Aeroga!_" Leafa shouted, and she blasted some of the carrots into the air with a ball of wind. She did this several more times until all the carrots were airborne. Palutena used her magical powers to produce several bubbles all around her. "_Power of Caging!_" she shouted, and she sent those bubbles forward, each striking the carrots, placing all of them in bird cages.

"Yes!" cheered Leafa, making a fist pump. The two walked to all the caged carrots, Palutena grabbing one of them and holding it to her face. "Now remember your place, friends; On my dinner table." she told them. "Well, that's one problem solved." Leafa told her, "And just before things got a lot worse." Palutena and Leafa looked to one another, smiling.

Suddenly, they felt some rumbling, and looked around. "What now?!" Leafa asked. "Oh, no!" Palutena cried. What was happening was that some of the carrots turned the remaining ovens in the kitchen to max level as well, and were about to overheat. There was a few seconds when the two girls looked towards the kitchen, then at one another, and panicked as the kitchen exploded, with them once again being hit by it as well.

From a distance, Pit and Kirito were shocked to see the explosion coming from the palace. Pit dropped the tomatoes while Kirito dropped the squash. "Lady Palutena…?" Pit muttered. "Sugu!" Kirito called out. The two gathered their produce, and raced towards the palace.

It took them some time before they found both Leafa and Palutena, sprawled on their backs, covered in soot and burns. The cages with the carrots have vanished, and the carrots also vanished, too. Based on the moans, they were still alive. "Are you okay, Suguha?" Kirito asked. Leafa coughed up some smoke, then replied, "This was clearly a recipe for disaster."

* * *

**Part 2**

After explaining the situation to Pit and Kirito, the two gathered up all the centurions to find the vile carrots. Meanwhile, Palutena and Leafa decided to wash themselves off by going into Palutena's hot spring. It was just the thing Leafa needed after everything they were put through. "Ah! There's nothing like a soak in a hot spring after a hot day." Palutena stated. "I'll agree to that." Leafa added, "I haven't been to a hot spring in ages!"

"_Lady Palutena, I rounded up the troops._" Pit informed Palutena. "_We're ready to go, anytime._" Kirito added. Their voices was coming from a small hologram screen Palutena produced next to her, showing Pit, Kirito and the centurions lined up at the front of the palace. Thankfully, it was a one-way view, so they couldn't see either girl.

Palutena and Leafa turned their heads to the hologram. "That revolt. Those darn carrots are such a pain." Palutena moaned. "Kazuto, you'd better get rid of them as soon as you can." Leafa told him, "I want to personally put them under the chopping block." "We're on it!" Pit replied. "Don't worry about a thing." Kirito added.

Pit and Kirito turned to the centurion army. "Men, we've faced the worst carrot-astrophe of our time." Pit informed them, "Catch them, now!" As the centurions started to walk of, Kirito turned to Pit. "Carrot-astrophe?" he asked, "You had to add that kind of pun." "It wasn't a pun. That's exactly what took place here." Pit replied. "Well, either way, we'd better take care of this as soon as possible." Kirito told him, "Those carrots destroyed not only the kitchen, but Asuna's sandwiches along with it. They're gonna pay for that!" And with that, the two boys ran off to hunt down the carrots.

The two girls watched as the centurions started chasing down the carrots, which were scattered about all around the outside of the palace. "They'll skewer them just in time for dinner." Palutena sighed while she rested her head on the side while watching the troops in action. "In the meantime, we'll just relax here and take it easy." Leafa added, sitting back and watching them as well.

As they watched Pit and Kirito look around the plains for more carrots, they noticed an oversized carrot approach pit from behind. At first, they were surprised, then they discovered it was actually a regular sized walking carrot, stepping through the hologram and confronting the two. It picked up a couple of shampoo bottles near them and tossed it at the girls, ricocheting them off of their heads, before racing off. "What was…?!" Palutena started. "Looks like they missed one!" Leafa growled.

Using Palutena's magic, they quickly changed into their clothes again, and hurriedly chased after the runaway carrot. "Get back here!" barked Palutena. "Thankfully, it's only one." Leafa stated. They stepped out of the bath house and stopped, stunned at the sight in front of them.

Palutena's bath house was located in another part of the palace, with the outside have a stone pathway surrounded by canals. There was a tower in the middle of the open area, with curved decorative paths connecting the wall in multiple directions. On each of these pathways stood a row of multiple kinds of vegetables. It wasn't just carrots, but onions, squash, peppers, eggplants, and all other kinds. They even saw some carrots pouring a brown bottle of Rejuvenator onto the basket of tomatoes the boys recently got, bringing them to life. All vegetables (with tomatoes as fruit) glared down at the two girls. "You just had to say something, didn't you?" Palutena asked Leafa. "My bad." Leafa sighed.

All at once, the vegetables jumped high, merging together into something. It had legs made of carrots, with a radish and squash body, eggplant shoulders, zucchini and pepper arms and hands, and an onion face with carrot horns and one eye. It was like a gigantic cyclops, and it towered over the two girls as they stood in horror of what they saw.

"Looks like they're getting serious!" Leafa shouted as she produced her Keyblade. "Back off, you overgrown salad!" barked Palutena as the vegetable giant raised a fist back. It brought its' fist down, and the two girls narrowly avoided the attack. Leafa then raced up the fist as Palutena ran along the side, trying to get behind it.

As Leafa raced up the arm, the giant saw her and made random vegetables appear from its' shoulders, diving at her. Leafa sliced her way through the attack, but several eggplants caught her off guard, and knocked her off his shoulder. She landed to the ground next to Palutena, who stopped next to her. "You okay?" she asked. "This had better be the last food fight I'd ever deal with!" Leafa moaned, then the two saw the veggie giant eye them, and attempted to stomp on them. They hurriedly ran away before they got smashed.

As Palutena ran on the water with her magic and Leafa ran on the road, the giant started shooting vegetables from its fingertips, like they were large bullets. The two girls started zig-zagging around the attacks, which became rapid fire. "I can fix this! I can fix this!" Palutena cried in a panicked tone. Leafa produced her fairy wings and took off, narrowly avoiding an attack. Leafa turned and fired several Aeroga spells at the beast, which had no affect. She attempted her 'Wind Needle' magic skill, but it, too, didn't do much. The beast swung its' fists at her, and she narrowly avoided it.

Another swing of its' fist nearly caught Leafa had she not used her Keyblade to block it. However, some of the vegetables on its' arm came out and yanked the Keyblade out of Leafa's hand. "Hey, give that back!" Leafa cried, but the giant's eye glowed, and Leafa narrowly avoided getting hit.

She ended up falling on one of the upper levels of the palace walkways, then turned to see something laying next to a wall. It looked like a gun, with a silver body and dark blue grip. It was almost sci-fi like. Leafa grabbed ahold of it. As she gripped it, green energy shot out of the barrel, forming a blade. It was light, and it reminded Leafa of the laser sword Kirito used in Gun Gale Online.

"She looked at the weapon, then down at the place where her Keyblade was at, which had disappeared under its' veggie arm. "I'll just have to make due with what I have." Leafa stated, and she took off into the sky again.

Palutena had her back to the wall as the giant looked down at her. Palutena seemed too scared to move. The giant was about to attack when Leafa flew in, slicing one of its' horns with her new weapon. "Hey, carrot-top!" Leafa taunted, "Come and get some!" Palutena looked up to see her flying to the side, holding the weapon. "Leafa, that's an Optical Blade!" Palutena told her, "Do you even know how to use it?!" "Dunno!" Leafa replied, "But its' never stopped me before!"

The beast shot more veggies at her, but she quickly avoided it. While trying to figure out how to get close, she felt a trigger on the weapon, and aiming at the giant, pulled it. It shot energy bullets, blasting at the body of the beast. "So it really is a gun-blade." Leafa noticed, "Just like Leon and Light's weapons. Okay, then. Let's give this thing a shot!"

She started firing at the giant, delivering as much damage as she could. The shots were quite powerful, and the range was very long. It seem to do more damage than melee attacks. Palutena tried attacking with her auto-retical, but it wasn't enough. So she decided to run to the opposite side of the tower she was standing at, remembering there were weapons in it.

She kept dodging its' swings, a few of them hitting the tower. It ended up starting to tilt backwards, towards Palutena. "Leafa!" she cried out, and Leafa stopped in mid-flight to see the tower falling towards her. "Lady Palutena!" Leafa cried as she flew down to catch her. She had barely got her out of the way as the tower fell, breaking the water along the path it made, and inadvertently activated the fountains as well.

Leafa's flight limit was up, and she almost fell into the water had Palutena cast her water-walking spell on her as well. She accidentally dropped the Optical Blade into the water as she and Palutena rose to their feet. "Stop wrecking my palace!" Palutena barked at the giant. "I'm more worried about our lives!" Leafa told her.

The giant hopped into the water, firing off more vegetables at them. "What now?!" Palutena asked as they came closer. There was no way they could avoid nor block the attack. The two girls hugged each other, closing their eyes, bracing for the impact. However, it never came. They opened their eyes to see that the vegetables were floating in the water. Not only that, but the Rejuvenation spell on them wore off, returning them back to normal veggies.

"What in the…?" Leafa started. "How did that happen?" Palutena asked. Suddenly, they heard the giant roar and they turn to see it sink into the water, the carrot legs touching the water turning back to normal vegetables. They suddenly came to realize what was happening.

They climbed onto the fallen tower, where they saw a few weapons had fallen out of the windows, landing onto the fallen tower's surface. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Leafa asked. "The water must've washed off the Rejuvenation potion." Palutena responded, "So in that case…"

She produced her magic staff and called upon dark storm clouds from above them. "_Power of Maelstrom!_" she cried. Lightning bolts shot through the sky, followed by a large downpour. While it did get the two soaked, it was the giant that was affected more. All of the vegetables that made up the body started to lose their Rejuvenation magic, and it turned back into a pile of vegetables, floating along the water. Leafa's Keyblade was among the vegetables, and Leafa, seeing it, was able to recall the blade back to her hand. Palutena lowered her staff, and the storm stopped.

"Who would've though a little rain could have such a big impact." Leafa stated, shaking the rain from her hair. "We should've known; Always wash your veggies." Palutena stated, lowering to the ground to pick up a pair of claw-weapons called Wolf Claws. She placed them on either hand while Leafa reproduced her Keyblade. "I hope you have some fire after that rainstorm." Palutena told her, making the claws of her weapon ignite in flames. "I've gotta spell for that." Leafa recalled, indicating her Firaga and her 'Orbital Drop' Finisher.

The two girls stood there, glaring at the pile of vegetables aways from them. "Pit, Kirito and the centurions will be starving after this." Palutena stated. "Then let's roast these veggies." Leafa declared, charging forward. "We'll slice up a vegetable surprise that Skyworld will never for-." However, she stopped in mid-sentence, and Leafa, hearing her stop, turned and saw why.

Three large squashes, still under the Rejuvenation spell, were standing around Palutena, having appeared from out of the tower. One of Palutena's flaming claws was stuck in the mouth of one of them. "There's still more?!" Leafa demanded, "I gotcha!"

Leafa activated her 'Orbital Drop' Finisher, rocketing into the air, with balls of smoking, then at the peak, she fused with them, and became a fiery blaze as she dove at the opponents. The other two squashes opened their mouthes, ready to attack. Palutena wasn't sure what to do in this situation, nor did she realized she charged up the heat on the claw inside of the squash. The squash was about to ignite as Leafa got close to Palutena, and the two were shocked at the sight.

Outside of the palace, Kirito and Pit had just gathered all of the carrots when they heard a boom. A massive, fiery explosion ignited all around the palace, sending flames and smoke rising in the air. "Oh, no…"Pit gasped. "What happened, now?!" Kirito asked. For a moment, they didn't move. Then they realized who was still there. "Lady Palutena!" Pit cried, racing towards the palace. "Sugu!" Kirito shouted, "Please, still be okay!"

Pit, Kirito and the centurions ran into the palace, racing to Palutena's bath house. When they found the exterior, it was smoking, not from flames, but from steam. All the water had evaporated from the area, with the walls burned. The tower was broken apart and charred as well.

Pit and Kirito were calling out to the girls, hoping for their safety. They were just running past a broken part of the fallen tower when they stopped and turned to see something. "What is that?!" Pit asked. "It looks like…" Kirito started to answer. Two familiar figures turned to them, with large squashes on their heads. They started dizzyingly walking towards the voices they heard.

"Pit?" Palutena asked. "Kazuto?" Leafa added, "Can…see…" "Gourd…on…head." Palutena moaned. Their two squashes bumped into one another, cracked, then crumbled apart, revealing the two faces of the two exhausted girls. Pieces of squash were still splattered on their faces and hair. smoke fumed from after the squashes broke apart. Kirito had to suppress the urge to laugh at this situation. Despite their ordeals, their faces looked so ridiculous.

For a moment, neither girl moved from the spot, but moaned from what they had just been through. Then as they straightened themselves, Palutena said, "Pit?" "Yeah?" Pit replied, "We are going out for dinner." Palutena decided.

As Kirito looked to Pit, Leafa stepped towards him. "Kazuto?" she spoke in a warning demeanor. "Y-Yes?" Kirito stammered. "If you laugh, or even mention this to anyone, you'll be next on the dinner table." The glare Leafa was giving told Kirito that he should be serious about this. "Okay, sure." he replied, waving his hands in defense, then thinking, _And to think, this all started thanks to Gretinal._

"Achoo!" Gretinal sneezed. She had just finished with a letter to Yen Sid when she had the urge to sneeze. Latias, who was studying at a table nearby, looked up. "Do you have a cold?" she asked. "No." Gretinal replied, "Probably someone talking about me." She then paused as she looked up. "I wonder how Kirito and Leafa are doing with Palutena?" she wondered, "They must be having a really good time!" Oh, how she wish she knew…


	5. Sleeping Knight 'Yuuki' Awakens!

**This is it, another story. Sorry if I haven't been uploading for a while, but I'm starting online classes, and I want to do well in them. But now, I have been inspired enough to finish my story, and this one brings in a great character from SAOII. If you've seen the series, you know fully well who this is. Read and enjoy!**

* * *

_(I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Sword Art Online. All I do is form my imagination from both stories, and share it with the world!)_

**Chapter 1: The Ghost in the Computer**

There are many hidden secrets of the virtual world, along with all the mysterious powers it brings. The power to bring a new reality to the people who enter into it. The power to create many sorts of new worlds that are just a hop, jump and a 'link start' away. The power to change the person's personality for the better, or for the worst. But those are some of the basic mysteries of the virtual world.

Then there are powers that are even beyond reasoning or understanding, such as the power to travel to a completely different dimension, the way that Kirito, Asuna and Yui discovered. Or the power that allows someone to be given a second life, like the deceased SAO Players gained in Sora's dimension. But even these aren't the greatest or the most mysterious powers.

One of the greatest and most mysterious powers there are come from the heart of those who have been touched by the virtual world. All the mysteries of that world can be summed up to the point that the heart affects all of them. Some would thank the person for creating it. Others would damn that person. But no one truly knows the powers of the virtual world, nor what kind of impact the heart delivers onto it, not even the miracles that come about from it.

One such example happened while Sora, Asuna, Kirito and all their friends traveled throughout the other dimension. Meanwhile, in Sora's dimension, a miraculous rebirth was about to take place. Fragments of a certain individual somehow leaked into the digital portal created by Ansem the Wise.

It happened when Asuna, Kirito, Leafa and Recon traveled to Twilight Town to reunite with Sora and his friends again. It was a call from the hearts who were touched by this individual, to be reborn in a new world, where she can start a new life. Where a new story can be written about the greatest swordsman of ALO.

_(Cue Opening 'Let's Wondering')_

In the mansion of Twilight Town, Pence was leading Hayner, Olette and Diabel down the stairs into the basement. "Come on, get real, Pence!" Hayner told him off. "It's true! I know what I saw!" Pence replied. "I'm a bit skeptical as well." Diabel agreed, "I have never heard of such things, even in 'Sword Art Online'."

"Mind making things clear on what it was you saw, exactly?" Hayner asked. Pence stopped at the bottom of the stairs and turned to the trio behind him. "I was working on the computer downstairs, seeing if I can find any more scraps of research data from DiZ so I could give it to DiZ when I saw it; A ghost of a person on the screen of the computer!"

"Come on, Pence. There's no way a ghost can appear in a computer!" Hayner retorted. Pence looked from Hayner to Olette and Diabel. "You guys believe me, don't you?" he asked. The two looked to one another before Olette replied, "I still don't know." "Having people cross the dimension through the digital wormhole is one thing, but to have a ghost appear is another thing entirely." Diabel added. "Fine, then!" Pence growled, "I'll just prove it to you that I'm not lying!"

He led the group into the computer room, where Ansem the Wise's computer was at, all the monitors glowing within the dimly lit room. Pence sat down and started tapping away at the computer. Hayner, Olette and Diabel watched over his shoulder, witnessing all that was happening on the screens.

"I went to the parts of the scrapped research data that DiZ wrote about the digital Twilight Town he created when I saw it happen." Pence told the others, looking at the screen where he was pulling out all the different sets of data, which were either unrecognizable or useless pieces of data, "I just hope it happens again."

"Even if it was a ghost, I doubt it would just appear in the same place." Diabel told him. "He's right." Olette agreed, "Maybe you should trying looking in a different…" But before she finished her sentence, they all noticed it.

As Pence pulled up another set of data, something appeared out of nowhere for a few seconds. It had the form of a human girl in armor. They barely saw the outline of the character and its' garments before it disappeared from sight.

The four were stunned at what happened. "What was that?!" Hayner asked. "It was the ghost!" Pence responded, "I told you I wasn't lying." "But where did it come from?" Olette asked. They all paused to think about it, then Pence said, "I wanted to show you guys that before I informed Cid about this. I'll pull him up on the monitor." It was after the fall of Organization XIII and during the time when the newly revived SAO Players were settling in Radiant Garden and Twilight Town did the two worlds finally had a way of making contact with one another. Since that time, they have been contacting one another via computer if they had anything interesting to speak about.

It took a couple minutes, but Pence finally got through to contacting Radiant Garden. Cid's face appeared on one of the monitors. "Heya, kid." Cid greeted him, "What's up? Got any new info for me on that computer?" "Sort of." Diabel replied. "We found a ghost in DiZ's computer!" Pence explained, "We don't know what it is, but it's definitely human in form."

"A ghost, ya say?" Cid asked, "Don't think I ever heard of stuff like that. Do ya have any proof?" "Not at the moment." Pence replied, "It keeps disappearing." "Can you tell us if there's anything we can do about it?" Olette asked.

"Well, I know that ol' coot, Ansem, did create a digital Twilight Town on that computer." Cid recalled, "Maybe if ya go there, you can figure out the mystery to that ghost." "Sure, we'll give it a shot." Hayner replied. "Thanks for the tip, Cid!" Pence thanked him. "No problem!" Cid replied, and Cid logged off the connection.

"I'd better go in and see what's up." Diabel decided, "Pence, can you start the machine up for me?" "What about us?" Hayner asked as Diabel checked his gear to see he was ready. "This is a virtual world of Twilight Town before we came along." Diabel warned him, "If you, Pence or Olette were to be discovered by your virtual counterparts, it could get a little hairy."

Pence activated the digital portal machine, and Diabel walked to it. "I'll see you in a few." he told them. "We'll keep the portal up for you." Pence told him. "Be careful out there." Olette added. "Find out the source of the ghost, okay?" Hayner asked. Diabel nodded, and he stepped into the machine and disappeared.

Diabel appeared out the other side, looking around. It was weird to see how it was any different from the real Twilight Town, apart from the badly damaged computer that was in the corner. "Okay, ghost. Let's see where you are." Diabel muttered, and he begun his search.

He searched around the basement and in the main lobby of the mansion. He then walked outside and searched in the courtyard and the forest, then looked around all through the town, noticing the digital counterparts of his friends and all the residence there. He tried hearing rumors from the residence, but with no such luck.

He was just going through the gates of the mansion when he saw it. At the window of Naminé's room, Diabel saw a silhouette of the same individual he saw on the computer screen. Diabel gasped at this. The silhouette turned and walked away from the window, disappearing from view behind the curtains. "Was that her?" he asked, then he rushed to the doors of the mansion, going to the room where he saw the person.

He reached Naminé's room and slowly opened up the door. He peered inside and looked around. No one was in there. He walked right in and closed the door behind him. He looked all across the room, from the table to the white walls with all of Naminé's drawings. "Is someone here?" he asked, "Come out so I can see you."

He took a few steps forward when he saw it. The back of the same individual was staring at some of Naminé's drawings. Her long, dark-purple hair fell down her back. Her pointy ears were noticeable. Her dress nearly reaching her ankles.

She didn't turn to Diabel as he walked closer to her. He reached his hand out to her shoulder, and he was able to touch it, despite her being see-through. "Who are you?" he asked her. She didn't move for a moment, then she wobbled on her feet and looked like she was gonna faint. She started falling to one side when Diabel caught her. He got to see her face. She looked like she was fourteen or fifteen years old. Her eyes were closed, her face relaxed. She was unconscious. Yet she still had a smile on her face.

Diabel paused to look at her for a second, then saw her body glow a bit, and it started to become more opaque. _She doesn't look like she's from around her._ Diabel thought to himself, _She looks more like she came from a VRMMO in my old world. But how did she get here?_

Diabel picked her body up with both hands, then carried her out of the room. He brought her down to the basement, towards the computer room. At that point, her body became completely opaque. He looked to her, then the machine, then shifted her in his arms so she could fit into the machine with him. He walked right into it, activated the portal, and was sent right through.

* * *

**Chapter 2: The Sleeping Knight Awakening**

Diabel appeared back in the real Twilight Town. Hayner, Pence and Olette were surprised to see him carrying the 'ghost' in his hands. They wondered who she was, or where she came from. However, in her unconscious state, she wasn't gonna give any answers anytime soon. They decided to wait for her to wake up.

They brought her out of the mansion on Diabel's back, deciding to bring her over to the Usual Spot. They tried their best not to be spotted by Seifer and his gang, or rather anyone else for that manner. It did look weird for the four of them carrying an unconscious girl through the streets of Twilight Town. Nevertheless, they made it through without too much attention.

They settled the girl in a sitting position on one side of the room. The four of them sat around, looking at the mysterious girl, wondering. "Do you have any idea who she is?" Hayner asked Diabel. "No. I've never seen her before." he replied, "But don't forget, I died during the first floor boss of SAO, so I don't know any good fighters."

"She does look like a normal girl, apart from those pointy ears." Olette pointed out, "It kinda makes her look like an elf." "Leafa and Recon did say they played a game called ALFheim Online, and they were a sort of fairy race called 'Sylphs'." Pence recalled, "Maybe that's the game she came from." "Then she must've crossed over when they came over to our dimension recently." Hayner assumed, "But why did she end up in the digital Twilight Town and not here?"

"The fact that she was projected on DiZ's computer was one thing, but the fact that when I found her in Naminé's room was another." Diabel stated, "When I did see her, she was see-through, like she really was a ghost. Overtime, she became more and more solid until she was completely opaque. It was like she had disappeared at one point, then started reappearing little by little before coming into existence. I wonder what happened to her in the other virtual world to make that happen to her?" The team paused to think about what happen.

Just then, the girl started to make signs of movement, and Olette saw it first. "Guys! I think she's waking up!" she told them. They all stood up and gathered around the girl as she started to stir. Then, very slowly, she opened eyes, looking about. "You doing okay?" Hayner asked. For a while, the girl didn't say anything as she looked around, then she muttered, "Where am I?" "You're in Twilight Town, in a small place we like to hang out." Pence replied. "Twilight…Town?" she asked, confused.

"How are you feeling?" Diabel asked, kneeling down to eye level. The girl looked to him, then she raised her hand, scratching her head. "I'm not sure." she replied. She then looked at her hand, then down herself. "Wait, why am I still in my avatar?" she asked herself. "That's what I want to know." Diabel replied. "We found you in a digital version of our town." Pence explained, "Do you have any idea what you were doing there?" The girl shook her head, not sure what to make of this.

"I don't understand what has happened to me." the girl told them, "I remember my body felt weak, and…I died." "You mean, you got defeated in game?" Diabel asked, "You didn't revive before this?" The girl shook her head. "It wasn't like that." she corrected him, "I mean my real body was dying. I was surrounded by all my friends, and I remember fading away in the hands of one of my best friends. Then…" She looked down, not sure about what happened in between it all.

"So your body died in the real world, and you somehow ended up in the virtual Twilight Town." Diabel summed up, "I can't really explained what you just went through. Unless, you were a deceased Player of Sword Art Online like I am. But then, you should've been with the rest of them when we were all revived in this dimension." He looked to his three friends, who were just as confused.

It took a few seconds before the girl realized what Diabel said. "This dimension?" she asked, then she looked shock, "Wait, you mean this is another world?! Not a virtual one?!" "That's right." Pence replied, "And you are a real person in this world."

"Eeeh?!" gasped the girl, "I thought I was suppose to go to heaven or something! I wasn't expecting to be revived in a different world, let alone a different dimension!" "That's how I felt when I was revived here." Diabel smiled in understanding, "But you were revived much differently than from the rest of us SAO Players." The girl was still as confused as ever, not sure what to make of this.

"Can you tell us what your name is?" Olette asked her. The girl looked up at Olette, then answered, "It's Yuuki. Yuuki Konno." "Okay, Yuuki." Hayner started, "Can you stand up?" Yuuki nodded, then rose to her feet, stumbling a bit before she caught herself. "I'm Pence." Pence introduced himself, "This is Hayner, Olette, and Diabel." "Welcome you to Twilight Town." Olette added. Yuuki looked at the group surrounding her, then she smiled at them. "Okay, then." she replied.

_(Cue Kingdom Hearts OST 'Lazy Afternoon')_

They stepped out of the Usual Spot, and Yuuki looked about the place in amazement. "I wonder if this is what heaven really looks like." she asked out loud. "Nah, it's no where near it." Hayner replied in an amusing manner.

At that point, Pence's stomach gave a growl. "Man, am I hungry." He moaned. "I don't think people get hungry in heaven like Pence." Olette giggled. "I was so busy with believing Yuuki was a ghost, that I didn't eat for some time." Pence explained.

Diabel laughed at this. "Well, I think we could all use something to eat." he agreed, looking to Yuuki, "You hungry at all?" "Now that you mention it, I'm really hungry." Yuuki moaned, "Whadya got here?" "There's a delicious hot dog stand that opened up in the market street." Diabel recalled, "Let's go there to eat!"

The four friends led Yuuki through the streets of Twilight Town, telling her what's around town. They were eager to ask more questions about her, but they decided to wait until later. From what they could tell, she was confused about being reborn again, but she had a positive attitude about it. They all found the hot dog stand, and while Olette and Diabel got a normal hot dog each, Hayner got himself a corn dog while Pence and Yuuki each got a chili-dog. They each got a drink and sat at a nearby table.

"So were you really one of the people in Aincrad who died during the SAO incident?" Yuuki asked Diabel through a mouthful of food. "Yeah. I was originally one of the beta testers for SAO." Diabel explained, "When we were trapped in the game, I chose to be the leader in the attack on the first floor boss. I got kinda greedy and attempted to get the final attack bonus, and I ended up getting killed."

"You got killed by your own greed?" Yuuki asked, "That's a pretty lame way to go." "Ouch. That's a bit blunt." Hayner stated. "It's okay." Diabel replied, "I was so obsessed at taking the glory and power so I could complete the game, that I failed to see that it didn't matter who got it so long as it was done. Leon taught me that. Now, I'm trying my best to become a leader that thinks about everyone." "You sure have done well for yourself." Hayner stated, "But you still aren't a leader yet, but you are a friend." Pence and Olette agreed to that. "Thanks, you guys." Diabel thanked them.

"So how did you end up dying?" Pence asked, "What made your real body stop working?" Yuuki looked down, not sure whether to answer or not. "I was born with an illness, and it ended up putting me in the hospital for some time." she replied, "I became one of the test subjects for a device called the Medicuboid."

"Medicuboid?" Pence echoed. "It's a medical full-dive system that was used for those with terminal illnesses." Yuuki explained, "It helps patients cope with the pain and suffering, but it doesn't cure them of their illnesses. I was the first to test it." "So you were the first one?" Pence asked, "That's kinda cool!"

"What kind of sickness did you have that was terminal?" Diabel asked in a concerned manner. Yuuki paused, then answered, "AIDS." The four were surprised at this. "I've heard of that!" Olette gasped. "Wait, do you still have AIDS?" Hayner asked. "She's in her avatar. She doesn't have that anymore." Diabel reminded them. "Yeah, you're right." Yuuki realized, "So now, at least I'm burdened from the pain of enduring that sickness. That's one upside of being reborn again."

"What VRMMO games did you play?" Diabel asked. "I played a lot of games in the virtual world, but my favorite was ALFheim Online." Yuuki answered, "This was my avatar in that game, in the Imp race. I was a really strong swordsman in that game. A lot of people even named me the strongest." The four gasped in amazement. "You were the strongest?!" Hayner asked. Yuuki nodded in response. "I don't know how long its' been since I died in that game." she stated, "But if someone has taken that title away from me, then I'm just gonna have to beat them up and reclaim my title!" The others giggled at this comment. How was she gonna get back, anyway?

As soon as they finished their hot dogs, they decided to go and grab some ice cream for an after meal treat. They went to a small store to get five Sea-salt ice creams. "I don't think I've tried that kind of ice cream before." said Yuuki. "You'll love it!" Pence assured her. "We eat ours up at the top of the clock tower." Olette told her, "C'mon! We'll show you!" And with that, they raced along the path towards their destination.

* * *

**Chapter 3: Absolute Struggle**

They decided to take the route through the sandlot in order to get to the train station. However, what they didn't expect is to see Seifer and the rest of the disciplinary squad there. They were busy talking to a chubby man who would referee the Struggle tournaments. The team stopped after hearing Seifer arguing with the guy. "Who's he?" Yuuki asked. "Oh, that's Seifer." Hayner grunted, "He's the head of the disciplinary committee, but that's just a group he created on his own."

"I'm telling you, right now!" Seifer told the judge, "Since Leafa is no longer in Twilight Town, that means I claim her title as the strongest fighter in Twilight Town!" "Leafa?" Yuuki muttered, wondering if she heard that name right. "Well, I don't know…" the referee responded, "Who's to say she will come back again. I mean, she and her friends passed by here about a month ago."

"But she ain't living here anymore, ya know?" Rai stated. "Deserted." Fuu said simply. "And anyone who isn't coming back to Twilight Town doesn't deserve the title." Seifer finished, "So give the bragging rights to me, old man!" "Now, let's take it easy…" the referee stated.

"What a jerk!" Pence stated. "Seifer and his gang are going too far this time." Olette hissed. "Leafa deserved that title, fair and square." Hayner stated, "Bragging rights for a full year as the strongest fighter in Twilight Town, and it has barely been over five months."

Yuuki looked to Hayner. There was no doubt about who he just said. But it couldn't have been THAT Leafa, could it? Regardless, she didn't like how those guys were treating the old man. She decided to take action.

"Let me talk to Seifer." Diabel told the trio, "Maybe I can talk some sense into him or…" But before he could do so, Yuuki had already walked towards Seifer. He was definitely taller than Yuuki. "Hey there." she greeted him casually, "Why don't you leave that man alone?" "Yuuki!" Olette cried. "What are you doing?!" Pence demanded.

Hayner and his gang turned to see who was talking to them, and saw the smiling Yuuki, staring up at Seifer's face. "Back off, kid!" he told her, "I'm busy right now." He looked her over, then said, "Wait, come to think of it, I've never seen you before." "I'm new to this town." Yuuki stated, "Hayner and his gang are showing me around." Hayner looked up to see the people she was talking about, who were all glaring at him.

"Too bad you picked one of the weakest groups to hang around with." Seifer sassed. "Hey!" barked Hayner. "Listen, girl, I'm the one calling the shots in this town." Seifer warned her, "Me and my gang are the disciplinarians of this town. If you make one wrong move, we'll hear about it."

"Seems like you've already made a bad move by yelling at this old man." Yuuki stated, looking behind Seifer to see the referee look at her, amazed at her courage. "That's something entirely different, ya know!" Rai told her. "Look, this person is making a fault in this town, and I'm just fixing it up." Seifer told Yuuki. "More like bullying him." Yuuki corrected him, "You're not making a good example as the town disciplinary."

Seifer gritted his teeth at how much Yuuki was insulting her. "I warned you to back off, girl." he said, pulling out a struggle bat, "Now, you're gonna wish you listened to what I had to say!" Yuuki jumped back, about to pull out her sword, but she realized her sword was no longer there. Of course. She left it back at the tree in Aincrad. "What's the matter? Can't fight back?" Seifer taunted her.

"Yuuki!" Hayner shouted. Yuuki turned to see Hayner pull out his own struggle bat, and toss it too her. Yuuki snatched it in the air by the handle, examining it curiously before taking her fighting stance. "Teach her a lesson, ya know!" Rai shouted. "Pulverize." Fuu added. Vivi was just watching.

"Now just hold on a moment." the referee tried to stop them, "I'm glad you are sticking up for me, young lady, but…" "Don't worry about me, sir." Yuuki replied, "If I don't fight this guy, I'll never get him to understand. That's just how I do things." Hayner's group was amazed at her principle and her daring. Seifer and Yuuki were glaring at one another, waiting for one of them to strike. Finally, the first was made by Seifer.

He charged forward and tried striking Yuuki in the head. She blocked it effortlessly with her bat, then retaliated at once with a swift strike to the elbow. Seifer didn't expect her to move so fast, nor strike so hard. He backed off from her, then snarled as he started attacking Yuuki with a variety of strong attacks. Yuuki's reflexes were so fast, that she blocked all of Seifer's attacks. She knocked his struggle bat to the side, then struck on all four sides of Seifer, unleashing a 'Horizontal Square' Sword Skill. A gust of wind formed after all attacks made contact, and Seifer was tossed upwards, pained from the attack.

Yuuki stood there, ready to continue as Seifer landed on the ground, getting onto his feet again. "Whoa…!" gasped Pence. "She's incredible!" Olette stated. "I've never seen anyone react so quickly in a fight before." Hayner stated, "Not even Leafa moved this quickly."

"I'm not through yet!" Seifer growled, "Time to unleash my newest attack!" He charged forward, and started spinning, creating a tornado around him. Yuuki and everyone watching was enduring this. "What's he doing?!" Pence gasped. "If this attack connects, Yuuki's gonna get more than a little bruise!" Diabel stated, "Yuuki, run!"

Yuuki wasn't moving, but was watching as Seifer came in close. "Try blocking this!" he shouted, and he made his strike at Yuuki. His struggle bat was close to Yuuki when she dodged the attack without anyone seeing it. She then ducked down, and pulled back her struggle bat, which started to emanate a strange, purple glow. I_f he wants to use his best attack, then I'll use mine!_ Yuuki thought to herself.

Seifer was startled at how fast she dodged, then saw her strike five times from the top right of his body to the bottom left of his body, in a straight line. She then did it again, from the top left to the bottom right, creating an X. Seifer stumbled back, then ferociously tried to attack her. The attack merely brushed her hair as she tilted her body, then with a battle cry, thrusted forward with all she got, striking the intersection of the X she formed. The attack made Seifer cough, then he flew away from Yuuki, flying into a bench with such force, that he made it topple over with him.

As Rai, Fuu and Vivi rushed to Seifer's aid, Hayner and the gang rushed over to Yuuki, who held her struggle bat in her hands, amazed that she even pulled off her Original Skill.  
"That was incredible!" gasped Olette. "I've never seen a move like that before!" Hayner stated, "Where did you learn that?" "It's my Original Skill, Mother's Rosario." Yuuki replied, "Though, to be honest, I wasn't expecting to pull it off IRL. Somehow, the attack just came to me." "I certainly can't use any of the moves from SAO." Diabel stated, "Maybe you are a special case from being revived differently? Or maybe it's because it's your Original Skill. Who knows?"

The team turned to see Seifer get to his feet again thanks to Fuu and Rai. Yuuki separated from the group and walked up to Seifer, who was bent over from the pain he felt from the Mother's Rosario. He looked up to see her stop in front of him, smiling. "That was a great fight!" she said, raising a hand to him. Seifer looked bewildered, then snarled, "Save your pity. I don't need it!" "Go." Fuu told her. "Leave while Seifer has some dignity, ya know!" Rai snarled.

"I wasn't pitying Seifer." Yuuki told them, making their group pause, "I just saw he was giving his all out there, and I respect that. If you ever want to fight me again, I'll be glad to accept it." Seifer frowned at Yuuki, who was still smiling and her hand was still up. "It's a deal." Seifer replied, "You just got lucky. I'll get you next time." Yuuki grinned at him, and edged her hand a bit more closer. Seifer looked at it, then took it, shook once, then walked off, with Rai, Fuu and Vivi behind him.

Hayner and the gang raced up to Yuuki's side. "I didn't think you were gonna be that nice to him." Hayner told Yuuki. "I already beaten him, so there's no need to add more salt to the wound." Yuuki stated, "Besides, I meant what I said; He did give it his all out there. We exchanged blows, and we understood one another in our battle. That's how you gain each other's respect!" Hayner and the others were amazed at how she said it so simply. You fight to understand one another… Diabel thought to himself, I wonder if she fought that hard during her times in ALO?

"I gotta say, that's some pretty good fightin' out there." the referee stated, walking over to Yuuki and the others, "You might be even better than our current champion, Leafa. Tell me, what's your name, young lady?" "It's Yuuki." Yuuki replied, then asked, "Say, I was wondering if you can tell me about Leafa. Where can I find her?"

"Oh, she hasn't been here for about a month." the referee explained, "She went off with some friends of her's. Hasn't been back since." "Can you tell me what she looks like?" Yuuki asked, wondering if it really was the same Leafa. "Well, she's a young lady, pretty strong, has long, blond hair, tied in a ponytail, and always wears that green clothes of hers." Yuuki's eyes went wide. "Then it really is that Leafa!" she gasped, "But how? How is she?"

"What's up, Yuuki?" Pence asked. "Do you know Leafa?" Olette added. "I do." Yuuki answered, turning to the group, "But I didn't expect to see her here. Do you guys know her?" "Yeah! She's a close friend of ours." Hayner replied, "Let's head up to the clock tower, and we'll explain there." And with that, they led Yuuki towards the train station. Yuuki's mind was still buzzing at what she had just heard. If they knew Leafa, then they might even know about HER as well?

* * *

**Chapter 4: Yuuki's Decision**

They reached the top of the tower as the clock struck five in the afternoon. They sat down and Hayner passed out the sea-salt ice cream. "Geez, that's salty!" cried Yuuki after she first bit into it, then stopped herself, "Wait…now it's sweet!" "It's good, isn't it?" Diabel asked her, "It was weird for me, at first. But I started to enjoy this flavor. A lot different from the food back in SAO." "Leafa and Recon also love this flavor, as well." Pence added.

"About that…" Yuuki started, turning to the group, "How do you guys know Leafa?" "I don't know her that well, but the others definitely do." Diabel stated. Yuuki looked to Hayner, Pence and Olette, who looked to one another before Hayner started, "Leafa and Recon were good friends of ours that we first met about four months ago. They came from the same world as you were from, and they were searching for some others that we became friends with."

"Others?" Yuuki asked. "Their names are Kirito, Asuna and Yui." Olette explained. At this, Yuuki nearly fell off the clock tower, shocked to hear their names. "A-Asuna?!" she stammered in amazement, "You mean she was here?! In this world?! With Kirito and Yui?!" "Yeah." Hayner replied, surprised at her reaction, "They came a week before Leafa and Recon. They were traveling with these three guys named Sora, Donald and Goofy."

Yuuki looked down, amazed. _So Asuna had been here._ she thought to herself, _She was really here. And Kirito and Leafa were here as well._ "Sounds to me like you know those guys pretty well." Diabel noticed, "And by the sound of it, you know Asuna especially." Yuuki nodded in response. "She's a really close friend of mine." she said, "In fact, she reminded me of my sister that I lost a year before I met her. It only feels like it was yesterday since I last saw her."

The four looked to Yuuki, who looked to them, wondering where to start, then she looked down at her ice cream. "In ALO, I was part of a guild called the Sleeping Knights." she started, "We were a group of people who were hospitalized with terminal illnesses, so we all were using the Medicuboid. My sister, Aiko, was the leader of our guild at first. We had been together in various virtual worlds. Some time later, my sister, and two others died."

"That's so sad." Olette pitied her. Yuuki, however, smiled as she continued, "Since we found out that two more of us were said not to last until next spring, we needed to do something incredible, something that would help us leave our mark in the virtual world. So we decided to take on one of Aincrad's floor bosses alone, with no other parties joining the fight, so our names could be on the Monument of Swordsmen."

"You took on one of the floor bosses all on your own?!" Diabel asked incredulously, recalling the first floor boss, "Was your guild that good?" Yuuki grinned at him. "We were, but we had six members, including myself, the guild leader. Since parties couldn't be greater than seven, I searched for one more Player to join in our aid. So I started challenging people to a duel."

Yuuki looked up, thinking about that time. "It was pretty fun, taking on all those Players. I ended up winning sixty-seven consecutive duels in a row." "S-Sixty-seven wins?!" Hayner gasped, the other three just as amazed. Yuuki nodded. "That also included Leafa and Kirito." she added, "And through all that, I was given the nickname 'Absolute Sword'." "Whoa!" gasped Pence.

"But how does Asuna come into this?" Olette asked. "Keep your shorts on, I was getting to that!" Yuuki told her, "Asuna was my sixty-eighth opponent. She was so strong and swift, that I decided to choose her as our seventh member. It was all thanks to her that we managed to defeat the 27th floor boss all on our own." "I had no idea she did that." Diabel stated.

Yuuki's eyes turned sorrowful as she continued with her story. "I wanted to break our relationship with Asuna. I didn't tell her about me, and what was happening to me IRL. Yet, for some reason, I felt like she would find me, despite I had not told her anything. Somehow, she discovered which hospital I was, and learned the whole truth. Even still, she considered me a friend, and did everything she could to make me happy. Using some technology of Kirito's, I managed to go to her real school, see my old hometown and my house, and so many other things. For a couple months, I spent my time with all of her friends, doing so many cool things with them. It was the happiest time of my life."

A bit of her ice cream started to melt, and a drop fell to the ground below. "However, my condition worsened, and I ended up slowly dying away. Asuna came to me in the virtual world, and I gave her my Original Sword Skill, so it could be passed on in that world. As I laid in her arms, my friends of the Sleeping Knights, Asuna's friends, and so many Players from ALFheim surrounded me. I couldn't have asked for such a happy way to go."

For a moment, there was silence amongst the group. Yuuki lifted her ice cream and bit into it, though a tear dripped from her eye, remembering that moment. "Sounds like you touched the hearts of a ton of people." Hayner assumed. "You were the strongest ALO Swordsman." Diabel recalled, "Even I would give my respects to you as you passed away." Yuuki grinned a bit at this.

"But now, you are given a second chance in life." Pence stated, "Not many people get that kind of a moment." "Except for me and the other formerly-deceased SAO players, you mean?" Diabel corrected him. "Yeah, besides that." Pence replied, and the boys laughed at this.

"What matters is that you can now live your life here, in Twilight Town." Olette told her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Even so, why me? And why me alone? Couldn't my sister have been revived as well?" Yuuki asked. "Maybe you were guided here for some reason." Diabel explained, "Leon told me that people like us were born again because our hearts yearned for it, or someone else wanted us to be born again."

"Someone wants me to be reborn again?" Yuuki asked. "Think about it." Diabel told her, "All those people that surrounded you as you died. You have touched so many hearts during your short life in that world. Maybe someone or something out there felt those connections, and gave you the chance to be reborn again in this world."

"When you put it that way, I guess I really should thank those people for giving me this second chance." Yuuki stated, "And who knows; I might come back to that world again. When I do, I'm gonna thank every person who saw me off in ALFheim." "I don't know if you should go THAT far." Pence stated, "Besides, do you even know how to get back again?" "I don't know." Yuuki answered, "But if Leafa, Kirito and big sis Asuna found a way to this world, then surely, I'll find a way back!"

Hayner, Pence, Olette and Diabel all laughed at this. She made it sound so simple, even with that grin on her face. And yet, she didn't show any signs that would deny her statement. "You really are an optimistic person." Hayner told Yuuki. "I just say what I mean." Yuuki stated, "Before, I did that when I knew I didn't have that much time left in my life. So, I just didn't care what other people thought, and said what I wanted to say, and be who I wanted to be. And I'd prefer to be that way, now!"

"Well, we like you just the way you are." Olette assured her. "Absolutely!" Pence stated, "You're a lot more fun this way." "Gee, thanks!" Yuuki thanked them. She became so eager, that she completely finished the ice cream, then her face froze in shock. "Gah! Brain freeze!" she cried, clasping her head. The other four laughed at her as she continued to hold her forehead.

"By the way, I wanted to ask you something." Yuuki told Diabel after she felt the pain fade away. "Shoot." Diabel replied. "I understand I must be a special case, but how did you get revived in the first place?" she asked, "You said you died in SAO. During that time, I had seen the news about the people who have died in-game or tried having their NerveGears removed ended up dying IRL."

"It's all thanks to Sora, Asuna, Kirito and their group." Diabel answered her. "Asuna and Kirito?" Yuuki asked, "But I don't know Sora." "He is a good friend of ours." Pence explained, "He and his friends helped us out quite a bit in the past."

"From what I heard, their team somehow gathered our data when Aincrad came to this dimension for a short period of time." Diabel explained, "Afterwards, they used a machine in a town called Radiant Garden to revive all the Players again. A lot of the people stayed in that world, but some came to this town instead, including myself."

"Wow! So are there any other fighters in this town like you?" she asked, eyeing the sword around Diabel's waist. "A few, but most of them want to live normal lives here." Diabel replied, "My friends and I just guard the town from any unknown forces that try to hurt the people." "Gotcha…" Yuuki understood, looking down at the town.

Later on, they disposed of what was left of their ice cream and departed from the clock tower. As they were wandering away from the place, Yuuki crossed her arms, humming. "You know, I'm not sure what to do in the mean time." she muttered, "Is there anyway of getting back to ALO again from here?" "Diabel tried." Olette responded, "Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to work, since you need your real body connected to the system in order for it to work."

"That sucks!" Yuuki huffed, "I wanted to go back there again to see my friends of the Sleeping Knights again. Plus, I would really like my sword back again." "Your sword?" Pence asked. "Yeah. Where did you get your's?" Yuuki asked, pointing at Diabel's sword. "I got mine from Radiant Garden, another world I was at before coming here." Diabel replied, "Leon made it for me."

"Is there any good blacksmith shops around here?" Yuuki asked. "No, but we can send one from Radiant Garden to here." Diabel answered, "Using the computer in the mansion, we have developed a way to send things from Ansem's computer in Radiant Garden to here. Course, they have to be inanimate objects to work." "We still have trouble sending actual people from here to there." Pence explained, "We nearly lost Hayner when he tried." "That's something I'll never forget, no matter how hard I try…" Hayner moaned, placing a hand on his forehead.

"Then let's go there and fire up the computer so I can get a sword again!" Yuuki declared, "That bat was just not my style." "Well, you have to use a Struggle Bat in order to Struggle." Hayner responded. "Let's go call Radiant Garden and talk to Leon." Diabel decided, "He's the one who got my sword." "Then let's move it!" Yuuki decided, and she raced off into the streets, followed by the rest of the pack, calling out to her to wait for them.

* * *

**Chapter 5: Reformed! Twilight Knights!**

Within two minutes, the team made it back to the mansion again. Pence led the team down to the computer room again. Since Yuuki was unconscious when she got carried out of the mansion before, this was the first time she saw the interior. "Who lives here?" Yuuki asked. "We're not sure." Pence replied, "It use to be the place where Leafa and Recon lived in for a while. Before that, they say a young girl used to live in this house before that. It's one of the great mysteries of Twilight Town." Yuuki looked around, admiring the place.

They entered the computer room, and Pence started it up again. The team watched as Pence started to get the connection to Radiant Garden. "Can you really contact other worlds with this computer?" Yuuki asked, looking at all the screens. "Only Radiant Garden." Diabel replied, "And that's only because that world was where me and the rest of the SAO Players were revived from."

"Do you have a connection yet?" Hayner asked Pence. "Give it a second." Pence responded, "It's just starting to upload a link…" They all watched and waited for the screen to get a visual. Finally, Cid's face popped up once more on the screen.

"Heya, kids." Cid greeted them, "Did ya get your ghost problem all settled and done with?" "We have." Olette replied. "And we would like to introduce you to that ghost." Diabel added, nudging Yuuki closer in so Cid could see her, "This is Yuuki Konno. She somehow appeared inside the digital Twilight Town after she died in the other dimension." "Nice to meet ya!" Yuuki greeted Cid, waving a hand at the screen.

"So she's another one of you deceased SAO Players?" Cid asked, "Why wasn't she part of the last batch of kids that were revived?" "She didn't die in SAO." Diabel replied, "She died when her real body died while she was playing ALO, and her data came to this dimension, where it was reassembled."

"Sounds pretty crazy, but I've heard crazier." Cid acknowledged, "Well then, Yuuki, welcome to the land of the living." "Thanks!" Yuuki replied, then started, "Hey, is it true that you can handcraft a sword for me there?" "We can, but not without Leon's permission." Cid replied. "Can you get Leon for us so we can talk to him?" Diabel asked. "Sure thing." Cid replied, and he walked away from the screen.

A minute later, Leon stepped into the screen. "Hey." he greeted them, "I heard everything from Cid. Looks like you got a strange, new resident to Twilight Town." "I'm not that strange…" Yuuki huffed.

"In any case, Cid said you wanted a sword made for you?" Leon asked, looking at her. "Yes, sir!" Yuuki replied. "I just want to make sure you are prepared for it." Leon warned her, "Fighting with a sword in the online world and in real life are two different scenarios. There is no reviving, and wounds are more painful to take. You must only use a weapon when it is necessary. So I'll ask again; Are you sure you want to want to carry a sword?"

Yuuki paused, thinking for a second. He did have a point; Carrying a sword in real life meant that she would have to take up the responsibility of using it, whether it was for a good cause or not. Even so, she wanted this. It was the only way of life she knew. She wanted to take this life at the fullest, but still be the same person as she was in ALO. She looked at Hayner and Olette on one side of her, then at Diabel on the other side, then to Pence, who was looking back at her from his seat. She took a deep breath, and exhaled, then looked up determinately.

"I'm ready." Yuuki told Leon, "I do want to have a sword at my side, so I won't lose myself or anyone around me. I was given this second life because others want me to have that, so I should do everything to protect their wishes." Leon nodded in approval. "Sounds like you are ready." he confirmed. The others looked to her, smiling at her resolve.

"Now the only thing that's left is to tell me what kind of sword you had in mind." Leon stated, "What kind of weapon did you use in the online world?" "A light one-handed, double-edged sword, with a thin blade, like a rapier." Yuuki described, "It was also a dark-purple color. Will that work?" "Sounds simple enough." Leon replied, "It should be done by tomorrow morning in Twilight Town's timeframe." "Okay!" Yuuki replied happily. "I'll be in touch with you." Leon told her, and the screen went blank.

"Well that takes care of that." Pence stated, turning to the group, "So what now?" "Now it's time to head back home." Olette answered, "It's getting pretty late, and we have homework to take care of." "Yeah, yeah…" Hayner sighed. "But what about me?" Yuuki asked, "I don't really have any place to live, right now." "You can come to my house." Olette answered, "I'm sure my parents wouldn't mind if you slept over. Besides, I'm the only other girl here, so no peeping toms." At this, Hayner, Pence and Diabel made accusations of denial for being known as 'peeping toms'.

It was hard to tell when the sun started to set in that town in Yuuki's case, but Olette explained as they walked home that most of the day, the sun looked as if it was setting, hence the name 'Twilight Town'. "Doesn't that confuse you, at all?" Yuuki asked her. "If you lived here your whole life, then you're use to it." Olette answered.

Olette's house was actually a two-story apartment in the Tram Common part of Market Street. After introducing Yuuki to her parents, she explained to them that Yuuki was part of the Aincrad Relocation Program, or A.R.P, which was the given name for the formerly deceased SAO players to be relocated in Twilight Town and Radiant Garden without too much suspicion. Olette explained that since Yuuki was a late-comer in the program, she needed a place to stay before they found a spot for her to officially live at. Her parents understood, and allowed her to stay for a while.

Olette led Yuuki to a guest room, where she would live in, and Olette's room, where she picked out some clothes for Yuuki to wear. Their figures were about the same size, though Yuuki was more muscular in the arms and legs. She gave Yuuki a purple, short-sleeved blouse with a white sun design on the right side, and a pair of beige shorts.

Olette suggested that Yuuki should take a shower so she could freshen up. Yuuki did just that, then placed on her new clothes, though keeping her boots and fingerless gloves. She kept the rest of her dress and armor in a drawer for safe keeping. She spent the rest of the evening talking with Olette, having dinner with her family, then they all went to sleep. Yuuki still had her sport bra from her uniform, and borrowed some pajama bottoms from Olette.

In the middle of the night, Yuuki woke up once again. She was having trouble sleeping. She walked over to the window, and opened it up, looking out into the streets. It was quiet. A few of the neon signs were still lit in the dark.

_It's hard to believe what has happened to me._ she thought to herself, _I ended up coming back to life in a new world. Not only that, but from what Olette said about Asuna and the others, their lives have changed, too. Keyblades, magic, and those friends, Sora, Donald and Goofy. How much did Asuna change from the last time I saw her? I hope she's still the same person I know._

She heard the sounds of a group of people down below, and saw a half-dozen people walking along the path, talking to one another and laughing. Then it occurred to her, _The rest of my friends in the Sleeping Knights. Siune, Jun, Tecchi, Taiken, Nori… I hope you haven't given up after I left. I won't forgive you if you have. I just wish I could be there again, just to tell you that I'm doing fine._

Yuuki looked up at the night sky, seeing all the stars above her. She then thought of something. _I'll just have to do something that proves to you that I'm still alive and kicking, just like how we did for my sister._ She decided, _And I know how to start. Starting tomorrow, I'll get right to it!_ She smiled happily as she closed the window, and went back to sleep again.

The next morning, Yuuki was so anxious, she polished off her breakfast in minutes, and raced out the door, dressed in her ALO uniform. "Where are you going?!" Olette cried out to her as she raced out the door. "I'll tell you, but only after you get Hayner and the guys over to the Usual Spot!" Yuuki replied, "I want to do something there!" Olette wasn't sure what she meant when she said that, but she decided to go along with it.

After getting the three boys together, they went over to the Usual Spot. They entered inside, where they saw Yuuki hunched over a wooden arch, drawing something form it. "What are you doing there, Yuuki?" Hayner asked, looking over her shoulder. Yuuki turned to him and grinned. The rest of the gang grouped together around and looked at what she was had drawn the symbol of the Sleeping Knights on it; a heart with wings, and a small star on top. In addition, there was an added part; a setting sun right behind the heart.

"What is that?" Pence asked. "It's our symbol." Yuuki answered, "Starting today, we're going to become a guild!"

"What?!" cried the four. "When did you decide that?" Hayner demanded. "Last night." Yuuki replied, "I want to do something that will show others that I'm still here." "And who exactly are you trying to tell this to?" Diabel asked. "Everyone who knew me in ALO, including my guild mates of the Sleeping Knights, Asuna, Kirito, Leafa, my sister, all of them! I want to show them I'm still around."

She then looked back at the four behind her. "And since you guys are my friends, I wanted us to become a guild so everyone knows not only me, but all of us." "I know you want to do this, but this is all so sudden." Olette stated. "I don't know. I think it's a cool idea." Hayner retorted, "We can give Seifer's Disciplinary Squad a run for their munny."

"Did you have an idea for a name for our group?" Pence asked. Yuuki stopped to think about it. "I want it to be something that shows that I'm here, but it should represent all of us, too." she muttered, her eyes closed, then she opened them with an idea on mind. "I know! How about we call ourselves 'The Twilight Knights'?"

The four looked to one another, then smiled and nodded. "Well I'm sold on the idea." Hayner replied. "Yeah! Sounds like an awesome name!" Pence agreed. "But what are we gonna do in our group?" Olette asked. "Protect our town, of course." Diabel replied. "And help the citizens anyway we can." Yuuki added, pointing a finger at them, "We should do the opposite of Seifer's group. Instead of punishing people for their wrong-doings, we should help them overcome their problems, and aid them anyway we can!"

"Sounds like we got everything set." Pence stated. "Everyone except for a leader." Hayner corrected, "Who's it gonna be?" "You, of course." Yuuki responded, pointing to Hayner, "You're already the leader of the group, so you should still be it. Course, I want to be the sub-leader. All those in favor of that idea?" "Aye!" cried the rest of the team, punching the air.

"Let's start by going to the mansion." Pence told the group, "Leon said that Yuuki's sword should be done at this point. Let's go pick it up." With that, the team raced out of the place, towards the mansion. Yuuki was smiling at how things were forming. Diabel was right behind her, thinking about what she had just started. She's really pushy, but she's honest with herself. Diabel stated, She could really change our lives in many ways.

After a few minutes, the team was inside the computer room, with Pence at the computer. He pulled up the connection with Radiant Garden, and within twenty seconds, Cid's face appeared.

"You're really lucky this doesn't cost anything, or I would warn you we should stop calling like this." Cid joked to them. "We just want to know if Yuuki's sword is ready, yet." Hayner stated. "Where's Leon?" Yuuki asked. "He's on his way to Ansem's computer." Cid answered, "It should be there in a few minutes. It's quite a beauty of a blade." The team looked to one another, excited.

And just like Cid said, the digital transporter in the computer room suddenly activate, and a sword and sheath materialized. The sheath was a black, leather material, with a red loophole attached to it. Yuuki walked over to where the blade was at and picked it up. It weight of the sword was The hilt was similar to her old sword, except the guard was rounded.

She grasped the hilt, and pulled out the sword. It was just as what she wanted; The blade was deep-purple, the silver edges of the blade were sharp. She held the blade aloft, like she was positioning herself for combat. The others backed away from her, knowing what she was gonna do.

She took a deep breath, exhaled, then with her eyes set, she slashed the blade several times and at great speeds. The feeling of the blade was just right for her. She stopped after a thrust, holding her blade in position. The gust of wind that came from her final thrust blowed across the room. The team was awe-inspired at her actions.

"Looks like you got the hang of that blade quite well." Cid stated, seeing her skills through the blade. "It feels great." Yuuki stated, placing the blade back in the scabbard and attaching it to her belt, where her last blade was at before.

She then turned to the screen and bowed. "Thank you so much for the sword." she thanked him, "Tell Leon I especially want to thank him!" "No prob." Cid replied, "Just be sure not to send it swinging willy-nilly." "I won't." Yuuki replied, "I'll only use it when it is necessary." "See you later, Cid!" Pence called out, walking over to the computer. The team waved goodbye to Cid, then the computer screen went blank.

The team looked to one another. "Now it's time for the big project." Hayner stated, "Making Twilight Knights' name well known all throughout town." "That shouldn't be a problem." Olette stated, "We can make posters, and start doing our duty as a guild." "I know of a few SAO Players around town." Diabel stated, "Maybe they would like to join our group."

"Don't you think we should clean up our place so it would be more welcoming?" Yuuki asked. "Good thinking." Olette answered, "We can all pitch in on cleaning it up, and putting up the sign. "Just how much do we need to put into in order to make the Twilight Knights official?" Pence asked. "Enough." Hayner answered simply.

Yuuki looked to all of her conversing friends, then looked down, smiling a bit. "Thanks, you guys." She thanked them, getting their attention, "I know I had just arrived, and I'm pushing you guys with this whole guild idea. I'm glad you had to deal with me like this."

"It's no problem." Hayner replied, "Actually, I was thinking of making our team an official group before you arrived. You just pushed the idea ahead of schedule." "We know you mean well." Pence added, "Don't get discouraged by it." "Plus, it will make me feel a little more comfortable having a person like you around." Diabel stated, "Maybe you can teach me a few of those moves of yours." "Same here!" Hayner added, "I want to win at the next Struggle tournament, and I want to be at top form."

Olette placed a hand on Yuuki's shoulder, and Yuuki looked to her. "We're glad to have you as a resident of Twilight Town, Yuuki." she told her, "Let's do our best together." Yuuki felt glad to be excepted by her friends. She smiled as a few tears formed in her eyes. "Thank you." she thanked them. She knew this new life was gonna be even better than the last. And hopefully, she could see Asuna in the near future, and tell her about how she met many new friends, and how she became sub-leader of the Twilight Knights.

* * *

**Author: So the 'Absolute Sword' makes her debut in the 'SAK' series, and will be apart of it when 'SAKIII' comes out (Which will be published when KHIII comes out).**

**Asuna: Don't you think you should tell them the next world for 'Sword Art Kingdom: Falling Fantasy'?**

**Author: You're right. In fact, this one is gonna be interesting, because it's a Disney world, from the movie...**

**Maleficent**

**Sora: Hold on! You mean you are doing a world from 'Sleeping Beauty'?**

**Author: No they already did that. Maleficent doesn't have the same storyline as 'Sleeping Beauty', so having two different dimensions means two different storylines for the same story.**

**Sora: When you put it that way, I guess it makes sense. But I'm still a little confused.**

**Asuna: You're not dealing with that world. Kirito and I are, so stop complaining!**

**Author: Also, I have uploaded new pictures to my DeviantART webpage. Three of them contain the new attire for Kirito, Asuna and Leafa for 'SAK: Falling Fantasy', and three others contain 'DLC' Soul Drives for the same trio that are exclusive to the Final Mix. In case people can't find my page, go to DeviantART and look for the name 'Jacksonswordsman'. I'm sure you'll find it! Until next time!**


	6. Kayaba's Diary! A Coded Heart!

**Another story complete. Many people asked me how a certain Kingdom Hearts game seemed to fit in my story, so I decided to do just that, with a bit of a twist. Hope you like it!**

* * *

_(I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Sword Art Online. All I do is form my imagination from both stories, and share it with the world!)_

Kayaba opened the door into his bedroom, and walked straight over to the desk, where his laptop was at. He sat down and booted it up. As it was starting, he recollected on what he had just experienced only a few minutes ago. This was definitely something he had never thought of experiencing, nor did he think it would change his ideals in any form.

Just then, Jiminy Cricket hopped into the room, jumping onto the desk. "Are you doing okay, Kayaba?" Jiminy asked, placing his journal down next to him. "I'm fine." Kayaba replied, looking to the cricket, "But what we had experienced was fascinating, without a doubt. I'm planning to write down all that we have experienced from that journal of yours."

Kayaba and Jiminy looked down at the small journal on the table. Kayaba paused a bit, thinking on how such a big adventure came from such a little book. Then, his computer was ready. He imputed his password, and loaded his journal log. He looked at the blank page, wondering where to start. Finally he started typing:_ "The tale begins with a blank book, and a coded heart…"_

_(Cue 'Let's Wondering' opening)_

_I came to Disney Castle after hearing about its' existence from Kirito, Asuna and Sora. They requested my presence to King Mickey just before they went back to their own worlds and dimensions. Donald and Goofy picked me up, and brought me before his Majesty._

_After conversing with him, Mickey decided to make me part of the science department of Disney Castle, responsible for the research of technology and magic in that world. This was a bit of a challenge, since everything was far different from the technology I was use to in my old home world, and I use to dismiss magic as a make-believe source._

_Then there was the research of Ansem the Wise. After gathering all the info I could from the computer and books in Radiant Garden, I started to follow his research in the heart. From what I have understood from all his research and journal entries, one conclusive fact was understandable; Ansem was completely confused about the heart._

_How does it work? What makes a heart choose good or evil? Is there a pattern that all hearts have? None of these answers were clearly decisive. They were all merely theories. The only fact was that the heart is unpredictable and nearly impossible to understand. That must've been why Ansem was so keen on unlocking its' secrets._

_I, myself, have never truly understood what a heart is capable of. From Kirito's standpoint, in can overcome the system for which a program is suppose to limit. In truth, Kirito's heart was quite fascinating when I once ruled over Sword Art Online. He had a way of fighting against any obstacle in the system. That was how he nearly defeated me in our first match, and how he defeated me in our second battle._

_Then there was Yui, an AI I had created as a Mental Health Counseling Program, and the first prototype for SAO. I had asked Cardinal to prevent her from encountering with the Players, and yet she still disobeyed orders. Not only did she made herself in contact with Kirito and Asuna, but stopped a monster from killing them. And the love that the two shared for Yui was what saved her in the end._

_The more I researched in Ansem's work, the more obsessed I became in wanting to understand the secrets of the heart. Was it because Ansem's curiosity somehow infected mine? Or maybe it was because I wanted to know something a fellow scholar was unable to decipher? I wasn't sure what to think my reasons were. All I know was that I was gonna learn more than I can imagine._

* * *

_Nearly three weeks passed since I took up residence in Disney Castle when Jiminy Cricket, the royal chronicler, came to Mickey and me with some news about the first journal he had written about Sora's journey. Before, the journal had no words within its' pages, except for the words 'Thank Naminé'. None of us even knew who Naminé was, though I had a feeling King Mickey knew, but didn't say anything._

_Now, however, there were a few more words added to the journal that Jiminy did not write down. 'Their hurting will be mended when you return to end it.' Jiminy claimed he never let the book out of his sight, so how did the words get into it? In order to figure it out, Mickey suggested to look further into the journal._

_Luckily, there was a machine inside of Disney Castle that was made for just this kind of situation; a digital scanner that can analyze the data within the journal. It was completely farfetched, since the journal wasn't a digital program to begin with. Nevertheless, with the help of the royal engineers, Chip and Dale, we assembled it inside Mickey's library. Donald and Goofy also joined in out of curiosity._

_The machine produced itself, and we begun scanning the journal. To my astonishment, I saw that there really was data inside the journal. More precisely, there were an assortment of worlds that were inside of the journal. How it came to be there, I have no idea. What came afterwards was even more startling; There seemed to be some viruses inside the journal that prevented us from analyzing the message._

_After figuring out a way to deal with the problem, Goofy suggested that someone should go inside the journal and fix the data. Since we weren't able to go in ourselves, we needed to find and AI inside the journal and ask that person to understand what was going on in the journal._

_I personally suggested creating a digital transporter from ALFheim Online to the journal so that Kirito, Asuna and Yui could enter within. They have had digital experience, so I thought it was a logical assumption, but Mickey dismissed that idea, not wanting to put the trio at such great risk. His Majesty cared a lot for their safety, despite not knowing them as long._

_Then King Mickey had an idea; He knew of a person that was inside the journal that could help us. That person was Sora. I found it confusing as to why they would choose him, but I went along with it. I rewrote Sora's data, granting him the power of the Keyblade so that he could, as Dale said, 'un-glitch' all the journal data. Based on all the data in the journal, this Sora was just like the one I had met before, but a different version. I wondered how this digital version of Sora would react compared to the real Sora?_

_Just as we were about to start, errors started to form within the data. I stayed behind to keep an eye on the system while Chip and Dale went to research the problem next door. After a couple minutes, everything was fine again. Not bad for a couple of chipmunks._

_As Mickey and I explained to Donald and Goofy about what we were doing, something happened on the monitor; Someone in a black coat appeared in front of the digital Sora. Jiminy stated that he never written this character into his journal. Sora pursued him, learning the skills with the Keyblade, then exiting the place we had created him in._

_He arrived in Sora's real home world, the Destiny Islands. After Mickey introduced himself to Sora and explained what was going on, Sora eagerly decided to help out, despite on how farfetched it was from his point of view. He decided to research the mystery behind the bugs in the journal._

_As he begun talking to the residence of Destiny Island, I had a thought; Even though it was just data, this version of Sora was just as lively as the real one. He had a free will, and yet he wanted to help complete strangers fix up a world he just entered into. I wonder if he has a power that is like Kirito's? If so, what is it?_

_Through Sora's research by talking to his friends, he discovered that not only more of those blocks were being produced all around the place, but that the man in the black coat was heading the the Secret Place behind the waterfall. He went into the cavern, and examined the place. Suddenly, an earthquake started happen, followed by Sora's Keyblade producing itself, then unleashing a burst of white light that not only lit up the screen, but engulfed our group as well._

_When we came to, we had no idea what had happen. Not only that, a new entry appeared in Jiminy's journal: 'There's a road for the taking if you end the world's aching.'_

_In the digital world, we saw the man in black return, saying the same words to Sora before disappearing in a black portal. He then left a Keyhole on the door in the cavern Sora was in, saying 'To make this place whole, the Keyhole's the place.' With this message, Sora unlocked the Keyhole with his Keyblade, and entered within._

_When he came to, he found his island in chaos, and found the source of the glitches within the world. It was a Heartless known as the 'Darkside'. He fought it, and defeated it, sending it into a black hole in the sky. However, Sora got pulled in with it, and disappeared from the monitor._

_As we tried to track him again, a new entry appeared in the journal. It said 'There are more hurts than the one you have just undone.' I assumed that meant there are still plenty more problems in the journal than what we just dealt with. After that, we got a video from the journal, and it contained something that Jiminy did not write in his journal. What it was didn't seem fake, but what was it? Before we could think any further, we found Sora again, in a new world in the journal._

* * *

_Sora was now in a world called 'Traverse Town', and there were even more bugs in it than the last world, which had been finally restored. Now, Sora had to investigate this world. He talked to Cid, who explained that Donald's nephews, Huey, Dewey and Louie, were investigating the abnormality in the town, but have not come back yet._

_As Sora went to bring them back, I learned that this same world was the one Donald and Goofy first met Sora, and started their journey together. That was also where they met the members of the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee._

_I acknowledged that I have never had a person I could call a friend in 'Sword Art Online'. Considering I was Heathcliff in that world, and the head of the Knights of the Blood Oath, I felt I didn't have time to make friends, nor were they necessary. Mickey, Donald and Goofy stated that everyone needs a friend, no matter where they were or who they are. Even I needed to have someone to call a friend. In truth, I didn't know what makes someone really a friend, but Donald and Goofy stated that they were his friends, and so were Sora, Kirito, Asuna and the rest of the gang. I had not thought of them as friends of mine, but maybe they were, and I hadn't thought about it._

_Inside the data-scape, Sora found each of the nephews, who each had a fragment of light, which when put together, formed a Keyhole with one piece missing. As Sora brought Louie back, the man in black appeared, giving him the last piece before disappearing. Sora merged the pieces together, creating the Keyhole. He unlocked the Keyhole, defeated the Guard Armor Heartless within, locked the Keyhole, and removed the glitches from Traverse Town._

_As Sora moved on to the next world, we got another new entry. It was the same one as the one we got before; 'There are more hurts than the one you have just undone.' After that, we got another video that Jiminy did not write in his journal. From all of this, we deduced that every time Sora de-glitched a world, it gave us more pieces of info that we didn't know about, and more journal entries, giving us more clues._

_Before we got any further, we discovered something shocking; Heartless appeared in the study. Mickey defeated them, and attempted to go outside of the study, but the door was shut, and we had no way of opening it. We were trapped. Then another new entry appeared in the journal: 'Undo the hurt to unbar the way.' I deduced that we had to remove the glitches in order to escape the study. And for that, we needed Sora's help restoring the world. Just as we figured that out, Sora reached the next world._

* * *

_Sora was now in 'Wonderland', which I remembered reading when I was just a kid. I'd never imagined there would be a world like that in this dimension. Perhaps there are some stories from my home world that are actually real somewhere else. However, this world also had a lot of bugs in it._

_Sora was confused as to how he got there, and knew if he freed another world from the glitches, he would be sent to another. Surprisingly, he didn't mind. He was simple-minded and overly-helpful, far different to any other person I have met. I wonder if this was the reason Kirito changed from before._

_Sora discovered Alice, who had no memory of who she was or what she was doing in that world. Thanks to the Cheshire Cat, we discovered that the people in that world seemed to have lost pieces of their memories as well. Alice's memories were scattered around the world in the form of blue orbs called 'Inklings', and by giving them back to her, her memory can be restored._

_As Sora went to search for the Inklings, we discussed about while the first journal had a bunch of glitches, the second journal that explained Sora, Kirito and Asuna's journey in this dimension was still fine. Jiminy guessed that it had something to do with the girl, Naminé, for which was mentioned in the pages of the first journal. I asked for Mickey to see if he knew anything about Naminé, but he said he didn't know, but to wait to see what happens inside the journal._

_After a while, Sora managed to collect all the Inklings he could find, and gave them to Alice, who talked things through with what she remembered, finally recalling where the Keyhole was; In the Queen of Hearts' castle._

_Alice led Sora to the courthouse of the Queen's castle, where the Queen of Hearts was. She didn't take kindly to their presence, and even went so far as to accuse them for stealing her memories. With an unfair verdict, she sentenced them by offing them with their heads. Before the card soldiers started with their assault, Alice told Sora that the Keyhole was in the birdcage next to the Queen's throne before leaving._

_Sora quickly lowered the birdcage while avoiding the card soldier. Sora opened the Keyhole, defeated the Trickmaster Heartless within it, and debugged the world, making everyone memories back to normal. However, the same message, 'There are more hurts than the one we have just undone', meant that they still needed to repair more of the journal._

_We saw the man in black again, confronted by Sora. He said something to Sora before disappearing in a black portal. Sora pursued him, and disappeared from the monitor again. As we wondered who the man in black was, something was banging on the door. To our surprise, it was the digital Sora, who we finally met face-to-face._

_As Sora explained he was following the man in black, we discovered something on the monitor. It was us, staring at the screen like we were. Looking to the viewpoint of the screen, we saw the man in black appear before us, unveiling his hood, revealing himself as Sora's friend, Riku._

_He was the digital version, used to keep all the data of Jiminy's journal. What was even more surprising was that we ended up inside the Datascape thanks to Riku. I had no idea I ended up back in the digital realm again. The proof of it was when Riku connected the monitor we were at to the monitor in the real world, revealing Chip and Dale's voices calling to them._

_As we pondered on a way to get back home, a hacker intruded from the outside. Riku did his best to stop it, but the intruder ended up cutting our link to the real world. I stepped in to see if I could do anything, however, the hackers had done a pretty good job preventing us from leaving. The only way to escape was to destroy the bugs in order to repair the link._

_Sora eagerly volunteered to help us out. I asked him for what purpose would he gain from helping us, but he replied that there wasn't any purpose, that it was because they were friends. And with that, he left to go to the next world._

_I'd never imagined a more helpful person in my life. He would help out total strangers, and call them friends the second he met them. He was even suspicious at Riku when he didn't reveal his identity before, then turn around and be okay with him afterwards. And this is coming from an AI remake of the Sora from reality. I wonder if Kirito or Asuna had the same confusion as I did, or were they use to this?_

* * *

_We next saw Sora arrive at the Olympus Coliseum, a world that surrounds Greek mythology. The next set of bugs were now inside the coliseum, and Sora needed to find the Keyhole to enter within, and destroy the monster inside the coliseum._

_After a request from Phil, Sora entered the labyrinth inside the coliseum, and found Hercules, the man with the strength of gods. Hercules explained that Hades, the Lord of the Dead, was responsible, and that they had to find him. As they went further in, Sora met Cloud, who was being used by Hades to defeat Hercules, but the plan backfired, and Hades left Cloud, who disappeared further in the coliseum._

_Sora and Hercules learned from Hades that it wasn't him that turned the Coliseum into the labyrinth. Being the kind-hearted heroes, the two decided to find Cloud again. After talking some sense into him, they got Cloud to join them in finding the boss of the labyrinth._

_Sora, though a digital being, has a way of bringing people out of despair and grief. I bet that was what made Kirito decide to give me a second chance in life, too. Sora has a way of reaching the light inside people's heart, no matter how vague a person sees it, and bring it out. 'A boy who's heart can't be touched by the darkness.' That is how Ansem the Wise described Sora._

_They eventually found it; It was Cerberus, the gatekeeper of the Underworld. Sora, Hercules and Cloud all fought and defeated the beast. Turns out, Hades was the one behind the trap after all, and attempted to beat the trio himself. However, they knocked him out, and he disappeared. This got the Coliseum back to normal._

_Even though the bugs were gone, there was no new message nor a video to go with it. It was the Data Riku who was giving them most of the messages, and the video's originated from Riku's mind whenever Sora got rid of the bugs in each of the worlds._

_As we realized this, we discovered a new character approaching Data Sora, and he, too, was never mentioned in the journal. It was Pete, a foe that was explained in the second journal. Not only that, it was the real one, from the outside world. After claiming the worlds in the journal were his, he left, and Sora pursued him to the next world._

* * *

_Sora arrived in Agrabah, a world that represented the Arabian Nights stories. Pete disappeared, and so did most of the people in Agrabah. However, the bugs and Heartless were still in the world. Sora met Aladdin, and saved Princess Jasmine from Jafar, who wanted to become ruler of Agrabah._

_The rescue was short-lived, as Pete created a replica of the magic lamp that Aladdin had, and Jafar used its' power to stop time, and disappear with Jasmine. Fortunately, Sora was still able to move, and took Aladdin's magic lamp from Jafar's avian servant, Iago, who attempted to steal it. After rubbing it, the Genie of the lamp appeared, who was as crazy as they come. With his assistance, Sora pursued Jafar to the Cave of Wonders._

_While they transported there, I questioned Donald and Goofy on how Kirito, Asuna and Yui reacted to all the people they made in their journey, and how they became friends. They responded that Sora might've helped a little bit, but they opened up to the idea of becoming friends with them. When I asked how, King Mickey replied that everyone has their own way of trying to make friends. I just had to find my own way, too. My own way of making friends? I wonder what that is?_

_Sora arrived at the Cave of Wonders, pursing Jafar through all the traps he wished for. With Jasmine in a sleeping spell, Sora fought Jafar to set all of Agrabah free. However, Jafar had one last wish, and he transformed into a genie, and entered the Keyhole, with Sora in pursuit. The only way to beat him now was to take Jafar's genie lamp from Iago, and seal him within it. Sora did just that, and not only freed Agrabah from the spells, but de-glitched the place._

_After Sora and Genie parted ways, Sora found Pete and followed him outside of the Cave of Wonders. However, another villain appeared; Pete's master, Maleficent. She not only knocked Sora out, but destroyed the Keyblade we made for him. Riku, the King, and I all went to Sora's aid, stopping the Heartless she was going to attack Sora with._

_Turns out, Pete was brought into the Datascape when Riku brought the rest of us in. Then he and Maleficent decided to try and takeover all the worlds within the journal using the bugs within it, then send them to the outside world again. And it was thanks to them that they cut the link from the outside world. Riku tried to stop them, but ended up getting captured and taken away by Pete and Maleficent. With how things were, we regrouped back at Disney Castle again._

_Since Riku holds the data of the journal in him, we needed to save him quickly. Fortunately, only one world had bugs in it. Unfortunately, Sora was unable to produce his Keyblade after Maleficent destroyed it. Sora felt regret for not being able to bring us back home again. He felt sorry for not being able to have the power to help others._

_I started to understand what makes Data Sora tick; He's willing to help others without any reason other than his friendship with them. If he doesn't have the power to do it, he feels discouraged. The real Sora must act in the same way. Kirito also acted like this as well. That's why he kept pushing himself to save all the people in Aincrad. Maybe it's about time I try the same way._

_Mickey planned on taking out the rest of the bugs on his own, but I insisted on helping, wanting to aid in leaving the Datascape. Mickey agreed, and we parted ways with Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Jiminy, heading to Hollow Bastion._

* * *

_The King and I found our way to the next world, taking out the Heartless and figuring out what was causing all the bugs. However, we had no idea that Sora came ahead, and Donald, Goofy and Jiminy joined him as they ventured through the villain's castle. We gathered up as much leftover data as we could, restoring it to its' order, but there were still plenty of bugs in the world._

_We arrived in the main hall of the castle to see Donald and Goofy trapped within bug blocks, defending Sora as their friend, and that he has a heart, just like the rest of us. Then they said the phrase that I could never forget: 'My friends are my power'. Thinking about it, I should've learned that from the start. That's what helped Kirito and Asuna through their battles. It was their bond that defeated me in SAO. It was their power that stopped Organization XIII. This kind of power was something that even a heart of data could have, and it could overcome any obstacle._

_Those words rang true to the Data Sora, for he produced his Keyblade again, and saved his friends from the bug blocks. As Mickey stated, something changed within Sora; his true understanding of the connection between us and him. That's what granted him the ability to wield the Keyblade again. As Mickey quoted from Ansem the Wise, a heart is so much more than any system. The power he gained was just his. No one else's_

_I stepped in with my comment, explaining Yui, the program I made to be controlled by Cardinal, and she learned to not only overcome the system, but become an acting force on her own. She and Sora were the same; They were more than just a system. They were living beings, just like us. I admitted that I did not see such a power before this, but now, thanks to Sora, I could understand what Ansem was unable to comprehend; The limitless powers that the heart could bring._

_We grouped together to stop Pete from escaping, but the Datascape acted up, indicating the data was 60% restored. Using the confusion, Pete escaped, leaving a Keyhole behind. Sora entered by himself, and fought Pete. He beat him, then had to face Riku, who had been implanted with a numerous amount of bugs within him, making him corruptive and go out of control. Sora took Riku out, stopping him from defeating Sora._

_It was an unfortunate moment. Since Riku's system held the data of the journal, that meant the journal's data was also corrupted, too. In order to save Riku, Sora decided to enter inside Riku's data, and destroy the bugs within. The risks were high, but Sora insisted, saying that if his friends were in danger, he would always be there to help. Sora took any risk to save his friends. An odd child, but a kind-hearted one._

_Before he went into Riku's data, I stated on understanding what Kirito and Asuna saw in him. Course, Data Sora wondered who they were, and I simply replied that they were friends of Sora, and hopeful friends of mine. Sora insisted me that they were his friends, or else he wouldn't think of them so well. I guess that was true. And with that, Sora entered Riku's data._

* * *

_We watched as the bug blocks started to disappear off of Riku a little bit at a time, with Sora restoring his data from the inside. As soon as all the bugs were gone, we were able to hear what was going on inside Riku's data. We heard how Riku was envious of Sora's personality and his friends. Sora stopped him, insisting that his friends were Riku's friends as well. All of us agreed with him whole-heartedly._

_Just then, something was happening to Riku's body. Someone was trying to stop Sora from escaping his data. Riku gave Sora a way to escape, and fought the culprit behind the cause; Maleficent. They fought, and Sora became victorious. He appeared before us once more. Riku was revived again, his data all restored. He even opened up a gateway back to the real world again._

_I kinda felt sad on leaving the Datascape. It was nostalgic, wandering in the world of data again. However, I did come up with a few ideas from the journey, and it might benefit to all of the people around me. I thanked Sora for letting me watch his journey take place, and allowing me to be part of it too. We acknowledged once and for all that we were friends. And I made my exit back to the real world again._

_When we got there, Riku gave us some startling news, and it was something I had a feeling might happen; With the journal returning back to the way things were, all the memories of the journey we had in the Datascape will be wiped from Sora and Riku's memories._

_It was kinda sad to hear that, but Sora thought things differently, of course. He explained that though their memories will be erased, the adventure will never disappear from their hearts and ours. Before all of this, I would've found that hard to believe. But now, I think that's true. Our hearts our connected, so our memories will never vanish, no matter what._

_Just as they were signing off, something appeared on the screen. A 'glitch from the darkness' was attempting to delete the Datascape. Riku said it was far stronger than any of the other bugs, and that made me assume that it was the main cause of the bugs. Jiminy also pointed out that Pete and Maleficent were still in the Datascape, too, and they had to be rescued. I found this preposterous, but since they weren't made of data, they had to be rescued, anyway._

_Data Sora decided to go find the two villains within the Datascape. He dove in without hesitation, and after a while, he discovered them, along with the bug that was gonna destroy the Datascape. It was the Darkside, the Heartless Sora fought in the Destiny Islands. Sora tried to warn them to escape, but the Heartless used its' powers to delete the two._

_As Riku explained, the beast was the data of Sora's Heartless, according to the journal. It had been feeding on the glitches and the Heartless Sora defeated, evolving from the dark data to become stronger and stronger. Sora knew that if it was released in the real world, then that wouldn't be good news._

_As Sora fought the Heartless in several rounds of combat, Mickey insisted Riku that he should enter in and save Sora. He did just that, releasing the real form of Sora's Heartless from the Darkside, for which he defeated, along with the rest of the large Heartless._

_When Mickey and Sora returned, Riku had already rescued Pete and Maleficent. He guided them out of the Datascape while Sora and Mickey parted ways, and Mickey returned to the real world again with us. We saw a final message from Sora on the monitor, saying 'Thanks, guys!'. I couldn't help but smile. I was gonna miss that kid, data and all._

* * *

_However, the adventure wasn't over. There was still the message before that we never figured out. 'Their hurting will be mended when you return to end it.' Since Data Riku wasn't the one who found it, who was it? As we thought about it, Data Riku appeared on the monitor once more, saying a new world appeared in the Datascape after the data was reset. It might be the key to solving the message._

_Since Data Sora didn't remember what had just transcribed, that meant all the experiences he gained with us on his journey never happened either. However, Mickey decided to go into the journal once more to help Sora out. I asked to join along side him, since Data Sora was my friend, too. Mickey agreed, and even gave me a promotion as the Chief Scientist of Disney Castle, saying my heart was now open and ready for the task. Quite a strange way to get a promotion, but I didn't complain._

_With Riku's help, we entered the Datascape again, and rejoined with Sora once more in Traverse Town. Sora had no idea who we were, but felt like he knew us from somewhere. I guess what he said before was right; Although our memories may erase, our connections will still be engraved in our hearts._

_We explained to Sora that he had to figure out the mysterious message by entering the new world that had opened up. Sora was confused about all of this, at first, but decided to help out. Mickey produced the Keyhole to the new world, and Sora opened it up._

_When the King and I reappeared, we were drifting within the data. We must've been separated from Sora during the transition, and got lost. We worked together to find our way back to Sora again. We discovered that the world that Sora went to was a place called 'Castle Oblivion', a world in which Mickey claimed he had been to before._

_Using Mickey's powers, we finally got into contact with Sora inside the new world. Sora was troubled. In that world, he keeps forgetting the people he meets in that place, using cards to meet those people, then leaving with the pains of forgetting those people. He was worried that if he held onto that hurt, it would consume him, and he would get dragged into darkness._

_Mickey understood that pain, and projected images of Donald and Goofy from the outside world to Sora. I also added to Sora what he taught me; That although he can't remember the people he met, their hearts are still there with him, connected to him. His friends were his power, even if it was hurting him that he could not remember them. As Sora started to understand that, Mickey used too much power, and we lost contact with him. We knew we had to get to Sora as fast as we could._

_When we finally arrived, we entered the large, white room to see Sora at the doors on the other side, holding up a card. He seemed to be better than we last saw him, like the cheerful boy that I met on our last journey. He showed us the card he was holding, saying it will lead us to the truth. Sora used it, and we entered the doors that opened up for us._

_When we entered, we met Naminé, the girl mentioned in the pages of Jiminy's journal. Mickey finally explained how he knew Naminé; One time, the real Sora lost all of his memories, which was caused by Naminé. However, it was Naminé that also repaired those memories back to normal._

_She was also responsible for all of the bugs in the journal. They appeared when she extracted the memories connected to the real Sora deep within him. The memories were still asleep in Sora's heart. They were dangerous, because they were too painful, and might permanently damage Sora. That's why she left the mysterious message, to see if Sora was ready to take it. And the hurt that the memories brought also produced the bugs in the journal. Repairing the journal and defeating the bugs was, in truth, a trial for Sora._

_I've already felt what it's like to feel regret and pain. It took me a while, but I finally started to remember one of the important reasons why I created 'Sword Art Online'. It was true I wanted to escape from the laws of the real world, but I was also trying to escape the pain as well. I figured, though it was sudden, that if I could create a new world, away from reality, I could be free from that fear of pain._

_However, I caused so much suffering not to just the SAO Players, both alive and deceased, but to the families I took them away from. I was so focused on escaping my pain, I didn't think about how it would affect others. Actually, this entire journey has taught me how to care for people, and that I should take their pain away, and make it my own, so they won't have to suffer anymore. That is what a friend does, and I want to become their friends._

_Data Sora was ready to face the pain inside of those memories. Mickey and I joined him. I felt like, as a friend, I should bear the pain Sora got from those memories, and help him carry it. All three of us touched the orb of memories that Naminé held, and we started to see all of the memories within them._

_The first set of memories contained four characters; One was Naminé. Two of them were mentioned in the second journal, the red, spiky-haired Axel, and Roxas, Sora's Nobody. The fourth was a black-haired girl that none of us knew about, but Sora felt she was familiar, and something bad happened to her. These people are waiting for the real Sora to find them again. He was the key to saving them._

_The next set contained three character that seemed to surprise Mickey. Naminé explained they were keys, too. And that they were connected to the Keyblade's truth. Sora knew two of them, and the third one had a special connection to Sora._

_We came back to our senses again, thinking about what we just saw. When Mickey asked if it was time for these memories to be brought to the surface, she wasn't sure. I believed that, like how Data Sora would eventually remember his friends, the other Sora will bring their connection to light as well._

_Mickey promised that he would pass this onto Sora in the outside world, and I stated that I should tell Kirito and Asuna about this. I have a feeling their hearts are so closely connected to Sora, that I'm sure they need to know this, and help those connections somehow. Call it a playful intuition, but I believe that they have the right to know just as much as Sora._

_With the message passed, Naminé stated that she would disappear, since she wasn't suppose to be part of the journal in the first place. But as long as the message is passed, then she would be at peace. Before we all left, Sora said the one thing that was on the journal before. 'Thank you.' Her smile was the last thing we saw before we all vanished, returning to our respected places._

* * *

Kayaba sighed as he stopped his typing. He looked at the digital clock on the computer. It was nearly midnight. Jiminy had already left with his journal. It was dark in the room, except for the light on his computer. He looked at everything he had written, and saved the document in his journal. He then pulled up another new blank page. It was gonna be the message he was gonna send to Kirito and Asuna on the other side. He paused, wondering what to say to them. Then he smiled as he started to type away.

* * *

_"__All of you share a close bond to Sora, so I'm sure you'll understand what I am about to write. Just recently, I ended up on a wild journey within another world of data, learning about new sets of memories that are sleeping within Sora. I finally understand what you see in him, and how easily you became friends with him."_

_"__I also know that because you share such a strong friendship with him, that you are probably connected to the people in Sora's heart, one way or another. I'm not sure, but it is what my heart is telling me. Just remember this; You are tied together, and your ties with your friends, those who you remember and those who are sleeping, are also connected to you. And these connections will affect you in the future."_

_"__What I'm trying to say is this; Don't let go of that friendship you hold dear. Kirito, Asuna, Yui, Leafa, Recon… The truth of the Keyblade has found its' way through many people, and now it resides in yours, and in Sora and his friends."_

_"__Kirito and Asuna, you can aid the people in Sora's heart the most. They are hurting, and I'm sure that the two of you and Sora can free them from their sorrow. All of your journeys, both within the online world, and in the other dimension, have prepared you for this journey. Now it is time for you to take that road with strong hearts, for the next floor of your journey is about to come forth."_

* * *

_(Day after the events of SAKII: Dimensional Bonds)_

Kirito, Asuna, Leafa and Yui were grouped together at Kirito's front porch, looking at the message Kirito forgot to open before they left to Sora's dimension for the supposed party. Kirito had already read the story out-loud, and no one said anything. Then Asuna started to speak.

"I wonder what he experienced in that other world of data to get him to say stuff like this?" she asked. "And why didn't he say anything about this before?" Leafa added. "Dunno." Kirito replied, "But if Kayaba told us these things, then I have a feeling he's placing a lot of faith in us for the trials ahead. And we should be prepared for them."

_(Cue Kingdom Hearts OST 'Hand in Hand')_

Kirito closed his laptop, stood up and turned to the group. "Let's make sure that whatever trial we're dealing with, we'll be ready. Let's get in some training, guys." "Right!" Yui replied. "Let's get started then!" Leafa declared. Asuna stood up without saying a word, but looked at the sky, thinking. _I wonder what kind of memories are locked away in Sora? And how do they affect us?_ she wondered. She looked to see Kirito, Leafa and Yui walking towards the dojo, and followed them, prepared to train.


	7. Lisanna Appears! Fight, Leafa & Kairi!

**Here we are, another episode. This one specifically surround Kairi and Leafa, plus a character that was hinted within the SAKII stories. Read and enjoy the tale of reunions!**

* * *

_(I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Sword Art Online. All I do is form my imagination from both stories, and share it with the world!)_

**Chapter 1: The White-Haired Girl**

_(The following took place after SAKII 'Breaking Finals! The Keyholes of Bonds!)_

Inside the Doremi Magic Shop, Leafa and Recon watched as Riku and Kairi stood in the center of the three Witch Apprentices, their wands raised high, and the magic energy shining above them. The energy showered down upon the two, and felt the energy enter their bodies. The lights died down, and the spell was over.

"There ya go! Two new Keyblade wielders with the power of Soul Drive." Mirabelle stated. "I don't feel that much different." Riku stated, looking at his hands. "Me neither." Kairi added, looking all around her body, "Are you sure the spell worked?" "Of course it did!" Patina barked, looking shrewdly at them, then looking to Dori, "Unless one of us messed up the spell again." "Why are you looking at me?!" Dori cried. "Because you usually have steak on the brain!" Patina barked back.

"I'm not ALWAYS thinking about steak!" Dori moaned, then she looked up as she drooled, "Although a good steak would be really nice, right now." "Dori, you're a hopeless case." Mirabelle sighed as Reanne giggled quietly.

"Well, guess we'd better get going." Riku stated, turning to the door. "Hold on a mo!" barked Patina, splatting herself in front of the door and facing Riku, "If ya hadn't noticed, you haven't paid for the Soul Drive's yet!" "Come on, I thought Sora, Kirito and Asuna got that for free?" Riku reminded her. "Yeah, but that was one time only." Patina replied, "Plus, you still haven't paid for the work on saving that girl in her sleep!" She was talking about Kairi when she was in the World of Dreams.

"A little over a month has passed, so the bills doubled. Pay up, or work for it!" Patina ordered him. "I don't have that kind of money!" Riku told her, "Sorry, but we have a dimension to save, so excuse us…" He was about to open the door when Patina snapped her fingers, and the door started to spin like a pinwheel, slamming Riku back and making him fall to the ground.

"Then you're just gonna have to work for the money, aren't ya?" Patina said with a demonic face. Riku was both angry and afraid of the green blob witch on the dust pan floating close to his face. "Patina's really scary if she doesn't get paid." said a terrified Reanne as she and the Witch Apprentices huddled together with sweat-dropped expressions.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I think we should go and find someone you want to share a Soul Drive with." Leafa told Kairi, grabbing her hand and pulling her along to the door. "Wait, what about us?!" Recon asked, indicating himself and Riku. "You're just gonna have to pay the jelly in order for us to leave peacefully." Leafa stated, waving a hand behind her, "I'm sure you boys can do it." "If you say so…" Recon moaned, looking to where Patina and Riku were having a glaring contest.

Leafa opened and closed the door behind her and Kairi. "Are you sure that was a good idea?" Kairi asked Leafa. "It's like I said, I know they can pay her." Leafa stated, then she gave a sweat-dropped expression as she added, "And I'm a little scared of that Patina. I'd hate to see what she would ask US to do." They could hear Patina barking orders at the two boys. "You know, you have a pretty good point there." Kairi agreed.

_(Cue 'Let's Wondering' opening song)_

As they walked along the Market District, Kairi started, "So who do you think I should gain a Soul Drive from?" "Don't ask me." Leafa replied, "Think about who you are closest to, and maybe try gaining that power through the relationship. Just remember that you shouldn't push the relationship, otherwise it'll break apart."

"Don't worry about that." Kairi responded, "I know what it means to keep my friendships strong. I'll just have to wait until the power comes naturally. Though I am curious as to whom I'll gain that power from." She looked all around, noticing the people she was passing by. She saw Cure Black, White and Luminous of the Max Heart Pretty Cures, imagining herself in attire like theirs. She saw Ashe talking with Vaan, and imagined herself in Ashe's attire. She knew it was probably not gonna be Vaan, since Sora already had his Soul Drive.

"Kairi! Leafa!" called out a young girl's voice. It was Wendy of Fairy Tail, with Carla flying right next to her, running up the street to meet them. "Oh, hi there, Wendy." Leafa greeted her, "Hey there, Carla. How are you two doing?" "I'm fine." Wendy replied, "Though I'd be a lot happier if I was back in Magnolia again." "Come now, child." Carla scolded her, "Just be glad to the fact that we're still alive and in one piece." "I know." Wendy sighed.

"Is Magnolia your home world?" Kairi asked her. "It's my home in Earthland." Wendy replied, "We were just heading back there from another world when we got suddenly pulled into this world."

"I remember Lucy telling me that." Leafa recalled, "The world you departed from was called 'Edolas', I think." "That's right." Carla acknowledged, "But instead, thanks to those foul Heartless and Unversed, we ended up getting stuck in this dingy town." "Come on, Carla. It's not that bad." Wendy told her, "At least we got to meet a lot of new people and gain new friends."

Kairi started think that maybe she could gain a Soul Drive from one of the members of Fairy Tail. She though of herself in Wendy's Soul Drive, with the power of the Sky Dragon Slayer magic. Then there was Erza, who's powers of changing armor and powers would definitely be fun and crazy. Then there was Natsu, and his convulsive attitude and Fire Dragon Slayer magic would make her a force to be recon with.

"Hey, I was just wondering if you could help me out." Wendy started. "Sure, what is it?" Leafa asked her. "Carla?" Wendy spoke to the flying white cat, who cleared her throat before she spoke. "I just started to think about it, but when we were sent away from Edolas, it was because we had innate magic. Because of this, my race, the Exceeds, should've been pulled along with us. However, as far as I can tell, we haven't been able to find out where they are in this world."

"So are these Exceeds all flying cats like you guys?" Kairi asked. "Precisely." Carla replied, "Although I do not care for some of them, there are the kids that I should be worried about, along with a couple others that helped us. I should at least find them and make sure they made it here just fine." "Will you please help us in our search?" Wendy asked them.

"Of course we'll help!" Kairi replied, looking to Leafa, "Isn't that right, Leafa?" "Sure. It's better than wandering around here aimlessly until Patina is done with Riku and Recon." Leafa replied, "Shouldn't you ask Fairy Tail to help you out?" "I would, but Carla doesn't think it's a good idea." Wendy replied. "It isn't their problem to deal with." Carla added, "I believe we are sufficient. However, Wendy insisted on getting some help, and that's why we came to you."

"Then let's start talking around and seeing if we could get any clues." Leafa decided. "Okay!" the team replied, and they scattered about in different directions, going to different directions. As Kairi was passing by a house, she could've sworn she saw a girl with white hair disappear into the alleyway in the distance. Not sure what to make of it, she continued on her path.

Wendy and Carla went to talk to Fran and Balthier, who were just passing by to the Slaughterhouse. Leafa doubled back to the magic shop to secretly speak to the Witch Apprentices without Patina noticing. Kairi met up with Kenichi, asking if he knew anything. No one had a clue as to where the Exceeds were.

Kairi walked along the street near the fountain, thinking. Surely someone must've seen at least more cats than Happy, Carla and Lily. Since flying cats are an unusual thing, even in this world, you'd think they were recognizable. Course, Yusnaan is a huge city, so they could be hidden anywhere. It's up to them to figure out where.

Kairi was so deep in thought, she failed to noticed where she was going. She accidentally bumped into the back of somebody, bringing herself back to reality. She looked up to up to see the girl stumble and turn to see who bumped her. It was the same white-haired girl that she saw before.

She looked a couple years older than Kairi, even though she had a petite figure. She had blue eyes and short, white hair. She had on a blue tank top held with cross straps around her neck, and a long, white skirt underneath. She had on a pale pink sash wrapped around her waist, and she wore sandals. Kairi could see there was some sort of tattoo on her left thigh, but it was covered by her skirt a bit, so she couldn't tell.

"I'm so sorry." Kairi apologized, "I didn't see where I was going." "It's okay." the girl replied, "I'm sure you didn't mean it. What were you doing?" "I was searching for some cats." Kairi explained. "Cats?" the girl asked. "Flying cats." Kairi corrected her, "You know, like the ones from Fairy Tail. Only there are suppose to be more. Have you seen any?"

"No…" the girl replied, "Though I've heard rumors about someone seeing them." "R-Really?!" Kairi asked, "In that case, can you please tell me where I can him or her?" "I can do better; I can show you." the girl told her. "Thank you!" Kairi thanked her, "My name is Kairi, by the way. What's your's?" "Oh, my name is…" the girl started, but she was cut off by a yell from behind.

"Hey, Gray! Where are you?!" roared a hot-tempered voice. It startled the two girls, and Kairi turned to see Natsu and Happy coming their way. "All right, where that punk?!" Natsu growled, bringing his fist in his palm, "I've gotta score to settle with what he said to me in the tavern! Come out here and fight me!" "I don't think he's here, Natsu." Happy sighed, looking a bit exhausted from being with Natsu.

Natsu glared around the plaza and saw Kairi, who was nervous at the sight of Natsu's expression. "Hey, you're Kairi, right?" he asked, walking towards her. "Y-Yes." Kairi replied hesitantly. "Have you seen Gray anywhere around here?" he asked.

"Sorry, but I haven't seen him." Kairi replied turning around, "Have you seen…?" She then noticed that the white-haired girl was not behind her anymore. "Huh? That's weird." Kairi muttered, looking around, "Where did she go?"

"See, I told you he wasn't around here." Happy told Natsu, the two completely ignoring Kairi's puzzled tone. "Yeah, well maybe he passed by without being seen by her." Natsu stated, getting Kairi's attention, "Either way, if you see Gray, tell him that I'm looking to kick his butt." "Okay." Kairi replied, not sure if she wanted to send that harsh of a message. Natsu and Happy rushed passed Kairi, calling out for Gray as they continued further.

"What's he got against Gray, anyway?" Kairi asked, "Seriously… I mean they are fire and ice, but they shouldn't be this ballistic about one another." "Yeah, well that's how Natsu is." said a familiar voice, and Kairi turned to see the girl magically reappear behind her again, "He's always been looking to fight someone at his level or better."

"Where did you come from?!" Kairi asked, startled at her sudden reappearance, "More importantly, where did you go when Natsu was here?" "I was in the fountain." the girl replied, pointing to the fountain next to them. "The fountain?" Kairi asked, looking from the fountain to the girl's clothing, "But you're still dry. How are you not wet?" "I can use magic to transform into animals." the girl explained, "Like I turned into a fish when I went into the water."

"That's incredible!" Kairi gasped, "So you can use magic like a lot of the people around here." The girl smiled at Kairi's amazement, then she said, "As I was saying, my name is Lisanna. It's nice to meet you." "Nice to meet you, too, Lisanna." Kairi greeted her, "So, can you show me to wherever this person that you said before?" "Sure. I don't have anything important to do." Lisanna replied, "Let's go, Kairi!" "Okay." Kairi replied, and the two girls dashed onward.

* * *

**Chapter 2: Died and Shied**

As they walked down the street together, Lisanna explained to Kairi about her magic powers, called Take-Over Magic. Her form of it is Animal Soul, allowing her to take the forms of animals or human-animal hybrids. She demonstrated this to Kairi when a few Shadow Heartless appeared before them, and while Kairi used her Keyblade, Lisanna transformed into a large rabbit, pouncing on top of them with her body.

A minute after their fight, Kairi asked Lisanna something that confused her before. "Why were you hiding from Natsu before?" she asked, "By what you said about him before, it sounds like you know him well." Lisanna looked down, a little sad. "It's kinda hard to explain." she replied, "But right now, I don't want to be seen by any of the Fairy Tail wizards right now."

Kairi was even more confused before, then she looked down and finally saw the tattoo on Lisanna's thigh."I know that mark!" Kairi stated as she looked at it, "That's the symbol of Fairy Tail. Does that mean you're a member, too?" Lisanna nodded, smiling a bit, though her eyes still looked sad. Kairi was now even more confused. Did she do something to upset the other members?

Just then, they heard someone call from behind. Kairi and Lisanna turned to see Leafa, Wendy and Carla coming their way. Lisanna was a bit nervous when she saw the two Fairy Tail members. "Where have you guys been?" Kairi asked them. "Just sorting a few things out with the locals, mainly going through the battlefield between Natsu and Gray." Leafa explained, with Wendy chuckling a bit as they recalled the huge battle between the fiery Natsu and the frosty Gray, throwing insults and magic at one another, and the three girls had to avoid the magic.

Carla had just noticed Lisanna, and gasped, "Hold one, what are you doing here?!" Leafa and Wendy both noticed Lisanna as well. Wendy looked a bit shocked. "Aren't you Edolas' Lisanna?" she asked, "How in the world did you end up here?!" "Edolas' Lisanna?" Kairi echoed, looking to Lisanna and back at the group, "Didn't you know she was here?" "No." Wendy replied, "We have no idea she was even here."

"Okay, somebody might have to explain to me what is going on." Leafa spoke up, feeling left out of the conversation. "Allow me to explain." Carla responded, pointing to Lisanna, "This girl here is from Edolas', the world where the Exceeds are from. However, there are also counterparts of all the people of Earthland in that world."

"Counterparts?" Kairi asked. "Basically, it's an alternate world." Carla explained, "As such, there's an Edolas version of Fairy Tail, along with an Edolas Lucy, Natsu, Wendy, and such." "There's another you in Edolas?" Leafa asked Wendy. "Uh-huh. She's an older version of me, and kinda different to my personality." Wendy explained.

"What does that have to do with Lisanna?" Kairi asked. "The people of Edolas have also one other trait, and that's they don't have innate magic abilities like the people of Earthland do." Carla explained, "When we were pulled away from Edolas, it was because we had innate magic abilities. But Lisanna shouldn't have that, since she is a native of Edolas."

"But Lisanna can use magic." Kairi pointed out, "She demonstrated her Take-Over magic to me already." At this, Wendy and Carla were surprised. "If that's the case, then maybe she's from Earthland like you two." Leafa assumed, looking to the two surprised characters. "But that can't be." Wendy replied. "Why's that?" Leafa asked. "Because the Earthland Lisanna is dead." Carla replied promptly, "She died two years ago."

Kairi was stunned at this, and looked to Lisanna, who was looking nervous at this point. "What's going on, Lisanna?" Kairi asked, "I know you aren't a ghost, so what are you?" Lisanna was pretty hesitant on how to answer, then finally she said, "The truth is that I didn't actually die that day." The girls were all surprised by this statement.

"Two years ago, I got badly injured during a mission. However, the same magic energy that pulled us out of Edolas, the spell Anima, sent me from Earthland to Edolas. When I woke up, I found myself in that world, and met all the members of the Edolas Fairy Tail. This also include the Edolas versions of my older siblings." "You have older siblings?" Leafa asked. Lisanna nodded in response.

"Everyone was shocked and happy to see me alive." Lisanna continued, "I assumed it was because the Edolas Lisanna died. I didn't want them to be sad, so I decided to take her place as their younger sister." "That's both daring and sweet of you, pretending to be someone else for the sake of their family." Leafa stated.

"I adapted to my new way of life, and lived my life in Edolas for two years." Lisanna continued, "Then a couple weeks ago, the Natsu and Happy that I know in Earthland showed up in Edolas, searching for all of the Fairy Tail members."

"Didn't you tell him you were alive?" Kairi asked. "I couldn't." Lisanna answered, "I didn't want my brother and sister to go through that sadness of losing me again, even if I wasn't their Lisanna. Even so, when the Anima pulled us back in, I was pulled away, too. As I did, they told me that they knew all along, and wanted me to back to Earthland to see my real brother and sister again. And that's how I ended up here."

For a while, the four didn't respond to the story, then Wendy started, "Why didn't you come to us after that?" "Because, we weren't home yet." Lisanna replied, "I couldn't tell them that I was here while we weren't back in Earthland. I was nervous on how to explain to them how I was here when we weren't home."

"That's a pretty lame excuse." Leafa huffed, "I mean, you have the chance to relieve them of their thoughts of you dead, and you aren't even gonna bother telling them?" "Easy, Leafa." Kairi stopped her, "I'm sure Lisanna has her reasons, right?" She looked to the girl in question, who didn't respond.

"But Leafa is right about one thing." Kairi continued, "You should tell Natsu and the others that you are here and safe. At least let them know that one person they know is safely here." "But how should I explain it?" Lisanna asked. "With your heart." Kairi answered, "If you're with people who think about you, then things will be fine!" Leafa nodded in agreement. Wendy smiled as well. Carla folded her arms as she looked up at Lisanna.

"Okay." Lisanna agreed, "I'll tell the others, but after we find the Exceeds, okay?" "Sounds great to me!" Kairi responded, "Now let's go find those cats!" "Yeah!" cheered Wendy and Leafa together. "The person that I remember talking about the Exceeds is in the Warehouse District." Lisanna explained, "Let's go speak to her." And with that, the five girls raced onward to the Warehouse district.

Kairi looked to Lisanna, wondering. While she didn't know what it was like to go to an alternate version of her home world and live with counterparts of her family, she did know what it was like to go to a different world and live a new life. It was the same for her when she came to the Destiny Islands, and became close friends of Sora and Riku. Now, Lisanna has not only lived two years in Edolas, but then had to come here instead of her home world. It was a pretty confusing situation for Lisanna, making her heart hesitant on how to approach the Fairy Tail members.

It took a while, during which a few Heartless and Unversed got in their way, but they finally found the place where the person Lisanna told about. It was the temporary dojo that housed the members of Ryouzanpaku. "This is the place." Lisanna stated. "This certainly came out of nowhere when those martial artists arrived in this world." Leafa pointed out. "There wasn't this much wood in the city. Where did they get it all?" Wendy asked. "You're asking me like I should know?" Carla retorted.

Opening the doors was a little tricky, since they were solid and heavy. When they entered in, they heard an explosion, and looked to where it came from. Miu, Pantherlily, Kensei and Hayato were kneeling as they watched a match between Apachai and Gajeel.

The girls came in closer as they saw Gajeel get off the ground. "Man, you certainly got a good punch on ya." Gajeel stated, grinning with pleasure, "Even so, I ain't going down without beating you senseless." Apachai's eyes were glowing with passion. "Apachai is surprised Iron-guy is taking my attacks." he stated, "Apachai might not need to hold back now." "Good to know." Gajeel chuckled as he cracked his knuckles, "I was just thinking the same thing!"

Gajeel unleashed his Iron Dragon Club, and Apachai met it with his fist. The collision of attacks created a shockwave. It also left an imprint of Apachai's fist placed in the Iron Club. "He's freakin' strong!" Leafa gasped, seeing both combatants retract their fist and club before going into an all-out brawl.

This got Miu's attention, and she and Pantherlily turned to see them. "Oh, hi there, you guys." she greeted them, "Hey, Lisanna. Welcome back." "Nice seeing you again." Lisanna greeted her. "So Miu was the one you were talking about?" Kairi asked. "Yeah. Her grandfather allows me to sleep here for the nights." Lisanna explained. "Gotcha." Leafa understood.

"Let me get a picture of you together." Kensei asked, putting down a magazine with a girl in a bikini on the cover, and pulling out a camera, "It's so nice to have so many young girls coming to the dojo. Maybe you can do some poses for me later on?" Leafa saw this coming, but before she could do anything, Carla angrily got in front of the camera lens. "You will do no such thing, you disgusting old man!" she hissed.

"Actually, we came here to talk to you, Miu." said Lisanna while Kensei tried to snap a photo around Carla, but she kept darting in the path of the camera lens. "What about?" Miu asked. "About a few days ago, you said you saw more of those flying cats somewhere, right?" Lisanna asked, "My friends and I are searching for them right now. Do you know where you last saw them?"

"If I remember correctly, I saw a pair of flying cats passing by the dojo." Miu recalled, "They looked like they were exploring the town. They were heading further into the Industrial District before they disappeared from my sight."

Apachai kneed Gajeel away from him before calling out, "Apa! Apachai has seen flying cats, too! Apachai is best friends with them. They come to play with me everyday." "Where they here today?" Wendy asked as Gajeel fought back against Apachai, arguing he wasn't paying attention to their fight. "Apachai hasn't seen them come by today." Apachai answered, punching like crazy at Gajeel, who protected himself with his Iron Dragon Scales, "Apachai was about to find them when Iron-guy and Panther came by and asked for a match."

"Hey, get with the program, pal!" Gajeel shouted, "_Iron Dragon Roar!_" Gajeel unleashed his dragon breath attack at Apachai, who jumped high to avoid it, got in front of Gajeel, then unleashed a roundhouse kick that sent Gajeel flying into the wall a long distance away from them.

The girls were terrified to see this amount of power. Gajeel peeled off the wall and fell to the ground, unconscious. "Is he still alive?" Leafa asked in a shocked manner. "I think so…" Kairi replied, equally as shocked. "I'll go heal him." Wendy stated, racing over to Gajeel.

Apachai walked over to Pantherlily, who was amazed at how Gajeel was easily defeated. He looked up as Apachai asked, "So you want to fight Apachai next, Panther?" Lily gulped, then replied, "I think I'll pass. I can already tell I am no match for someone of your standards." He walked over to the girls, adding, "Besides, I am curious as to what happen to the Exceeds, especially Queen Shagotte. I shall join with you in your search." "Thanks, Lily." Kairi thanked him.

After a couple minutes, Wendy finally healed up Gajeel just enough for him to regain conscious. Gajeel got to his feet again, rubbing the back of his neck. "Are you doing okay, Gajeel?" Wendy asked. "Yeah, just didn't expect to get kicked to the curb by that Apachai." Gajeel stated, looking at the childish man who was punching the air in victory, "Man, if he's that good, I wonder on how strong Kenichi is? I should hunt him down to find out after I grab something to eat."

"You can come with us to the Industrial District." Wendy suggested, "We were going there to find the Exceeds." "I was just gonna go there for my snack." Gajeel replied, "Fine, I'll join your little brigade." Wendy smiled at Gajeel's approval. The two Dragon Slayers walked over to where the others were at. With the team set, Leafa, Kairi, Lisanna, Wendy, Gajeel, Carla and Pantherlily said their goodbyes to Miu and the others before departing.

* * *

**Chapter 3: Vs. Caged Heartless!**

As they started to walk to the Industrial District, Leafa gasped, "I just remembered something; but the Witch Apprentices asked me to take care of these for them." She pulled out a small box from her pocket, and showed it to Kairi. "What is that?" Kairi asked. "It's a box of Soul Drives." Leafa answered, opening it up to reveal three glowing orbs. "Really?! They had Soul Drives on hand?!" Kairi asked, gaping at the box of orbs.

"What are Soul Drives?" Lisanna asked curiously. "They're special powers that allow a Keyblade wielder to transform their attire to gain a new kind of power." Leafa explained, "They are formed by strong bonds between the wielder and someone else. However, these Soul Drives were the only exception, as they were formed by unusual means. During the large attack on the town yesterday, the Witch Apprentices discovered these and kept them for us to use. They gave them to me when I went back to question them about the whereabouts of the Exceeds."

"So are you giving all of these to me?" Kairi asked in amazement. "No. These souls choose who they become a part of." Leafa responded, "There were five in this box, but one bonded with me and one bonded with Riku. Both of us were shocked to find out what Soul Drives we gained." "Whose were they?" Wendy asked. "I'll show you mine later, but Riku's new Soul Drive is actually my brother's." "Kirito's Soul Drive?!" Kairi asked. "Yeah, and he has the same power as Kirito in SAO." Leafa explained, "He is totally fit for the power."

Kairi looked down at the three orbs in the box, wondering. She reached out to see if one responded to her. Nothing. "Did you do anything special to get one of them?" Kairi asked Leafa. "No." Leafa replied, "The moment they opened up the box, the souls just came out and attracted to Riku and I."

"So I guess none of them are for me." Kairi sighed, lowering her hand. "I'm sure you'll find your's soon." Leafa assured her, placing the box away and placing a hand on her shoulder, "Just be patient, and you'll soon find it." Kairi smiled, but did feel down about it. Now that Riku had his, she felt left out of the group. Lisanna was looking at Kairi with sympathy, wondering if she should help her out in some way.

After passing through the Lower City, they arrived at the Industrial District. It was a complex part of Yusnaan, full of twists and turns, going up and down levels, and dealing with Heartless and Unversed as well. Since this was the place where most of the food and resources for Yusnaan were available, taking care of them was still on their list.

There was a large pile of scrap metal that they stopped at so Gajeel can eat. It was really disgusting to watch someone literally eat metal like he did. "Geez, how do you get use to watching him eat like that?" Leafa asked Lily. "It was quite startling to me, but you learn to adapt." Lily responded.

After several minutes, the team found themselves walking along a narrow pathway alongside the harbor. As they went out to see, they saw someone lying in the distance. It was a black cat, with a long, rectangular head, a black jacket with a light-colored turtleneck, yellow pants, and a pair of brown boots.

"It's a cat!" Kairi noticed. "More precise, that's an Exceed." Lisanna corrected her. "I know him!" Lily gasped, "That's the Queen's Ministry of State, Nadi!" They all rushed around the cat, crouching down to see if was okay. He was moaning, meaning he was still conscious.

He raised his head at the sound of the people gathering around him. "Oh, my… It's you." Nadi moaned, seeing Wendy and Carla in front of his face. He got to his feet, and he started pumping his fist up and down continuously. "What happened to you?" Wendy asked him. "Some horrible creatures appeared and started gathering up all the Exceeds." Nadi explained, "Captain Nichiya, the soldiers, Queen Shagotte, every one of them!" The team gasped in shocked.

"I managed to escape, somehow." Nadi continued, "But, as you can see, I am terribly weakened. The monsters have drained our magic energy, so I used the las of my power, and escaped." "Sounds like it could be the Heartless or Unversed." Leafa assumed, "Don't worry about a thing, Nadi. We'll take care of it." The team stood up again, and looked to one another. "Sounds like the Exceeds need our help." Leafa stated, "Let's go save them!" "Yeah!" replied the team, and the group rushed forward to fight, leaving Nadi behind, looking worried.

As soon as they got to the ends of the docks, they were stunned at the sight. About a half-dozen of one kind of Heartless and one other Heartless were surrounding the dock.

The half-dozen Heartless were magenta blob with rounded teeth that were like prison bars and the Heartless symbol on it. They all held a numerous amount of Exceed inside of the main body. It had a smaller head on top, and both parts had yellow eyes. It had a blue, flower-like base, and two blue tentacles with violet, three-fingered hands with spikes outside of them.

The central Heartless was floating off the ground, and it looked mechanical, brightly-colored and ghost-like. It had an egg-shaped head with a long, Christmasy hat on top, two turquoise-sleeved arms with bright yellow, boney claws, and hanging by wires underneath it was a copper cage, and inside it was an adult white cat that had a strange resemblance to Carla.

"Look at all of them!" gasped Wendy, seeing all the trapped Exceeds. "Queen Shagotte!" Lily called out, looking at the adult cat inside the central Heartless. "Pantherlily!" she replied, raising a paw to the group. "It's those humans who saved us before!" one of the Exceeds noticed. "Please, you have to save us!" begged another Exceed. "I can't use my wings in here!" cried out another Exceed.

"Leafa, what are we looking at?" Kairi asked as Leafa pulled out a scanner similar to Yui's and placing it over her eye, analyzing the enemies. "The central Heartless is called the 'Prison Keeper'. It's gonna be the toughest one of the group." Leafa analyzed, "The other Heartless are called 'Parasite Cages'. They remain stationary, but their tentacles are deadly."

"I don't care about what those things are." said Gajeel, getting ready to fight, "All I see is someone messing with the wrong crowd." Lily grew in size, curling his claws into fists. "Okay, Lisanna. Let's go take out these Heartless, then we'll find the rest of Fairy Tail!" Kairi declared as she and Leafa pulled out their Keyblades, ready to go. "Okay." Lisanna responded, giving a stern face as she was ready to fight. "We'll back you up from a distance." Wendy indicated herself and Carla, "Please, save the Exceeds!" With that, the combatants charged in.

Leafa helped Kairi and Lisanna out with the closest Parasite Cage while Gajeel and Lily took on the second closest one. They had to make sure they didn't hurt the Exceeds inside of the Parasites. However, this was difficult since the Parasite Cage's tentacles were long and gave powerful blows.

Gajeel took one of the hits to grab ahold of one of the Heartless' tentacles, then when it tried swinging at him again, he grabbed the other. This gave Lily the opportunity to grab the teeth of the base Heartless, and pry them open. "Now's your chance!" he told the Exceeds inside, "Escape!" In a panicked frenzy, the Exceeds escaped the Parasite Cage's interior. "Everyone, follow me!" Carla called out, waving her hand to usher them over. The Exceeds hurriedly rushed over and exited the docks, towards where Nadi was at.

With the Exceeds out of the way, Gajeel threw the tentacles aside, and unleashed his Iron Dragon Club just as Lily punched it as well. They sent them flying away, and Lily flew right after it. He slugged it into the ground, where it collapsed. "_Iron Dragon Lance: Demon Logs!_" Gajeel shouted, sending a storm of iron lances from his fingertips, finishing the job on the Parasite Cage.

Meanwhile, Leafa, Kairi and Lisanna were still trying to finish off the Heartless what with the Exceeds within it. They weren't able to help them escape the bars by brute force like Gajeel and Lily did. Despite that, Leafa was the only one of the group who had attack magic on her; Aeroga and Fira. Both she and Kairi had Cura, and Kairi also had Esuna on her, making her reliable should the Heartless use any status moves, but that wasn't needed.

Leafa distracted the Parasite Cage by dealing the most damage to it, making it angry and tried attacking her. Kairi and Lisanna got behind, where it was vulnerable. Lisanna transformed her arms into wings and her legs into bird talons, taking the form of a harpy. She got into the air, then Kairi bounded off the Heartless and soared high to meet her. They connected their feet, and Lisanna shoved Kairi towards the Heartless. When she was close, Kairi swung her Keyblade, piercing right through the Heartless and coming out the other side. She stumbled and fell to the ground, failing to land properly. However, the Heartless did disappear before the girl's eyes, freeing the Exceeds. They, too, left to join the other freed Exceeds.

"You okay, Kairi?" Lisanna asked, going back to normal as she raced to Kairi's side. "Yeah, I'll be fine." Kairi replied, getting to her feet again, "Thanks for the boost, Lisanna." "Nice combo attack, you two." Leafa complimented them. They turned to see the remaining Parasite Cages. Lily and Gajeel were already dealing with two more of the Parasite Cages, their power amplified thanks to Wendy's 'Arms' Sky Dragon magic.

"I can take care of the remaining two." Leafa told Kairi and Lisanna, her Keyblade raised at the two remaining Parasite Cage Heartless, "You guys handle the one with the queen in its' clutches." "Are you sure you can handle them on your own?" Kairi asked, believing Leafa was getting cocky. "Don't you worry." Leafa assured her, grinning, "I still haven't shown you my new power, yet."

In one of the cages, Nichiya, the captain of the Exceed guard, was trapped in one of the Parasite Cages, along with most of the guard as well. "I shall not be kept trapped within this monstrosity like a common house cat! Meow!" hollered the Captain, swinging his sword against the teeth of the cage, but to no avail. Instead he wore himself out, having run low on magic energy. "I shouldn't be this out of breath." he panted, "I'm a strong and healthy young man…"

Leafa dashed towards the two remaining cages. "Hold on, Exceeds!" she cried out, "I'll save your lives. However, you're gonna have to deal with the fire I have in store!" As she dashed, she started to glow a fiery red. "_Flame Soul!_" she shouted, and her body bursted with fiery energy.

In a cutscene, Leafa's body was engulfed in a pillar of flames, reappearing out of it in her new attire. On top of the Twilight Town clocktower, Leafa finished off a bar of sea-salt ice cream, then leapt down to the ground in a fiery blaze. She landed, and the flames dispersed all around her. "_You're getting burned!_" she shouted, rising to her feet again and pointing to the side of her head, "_Got it memorized?_"

Leafa's new Soul Drive had changed her clothes greatly, for she now wore the Organization XIII's black coat. She had on a pair of tan jeans and black, high-heeled boots. Around her wrists were red rings with silver spikes, and the petals of her flower-like headband became red.

As Kairi and Lisanna ran past her to face the Prison Keeper, Kairi looked back at Leafa. The look she had reminded her of Axel, the fiery member of Organization XIII. Then she realized that it was his Soul Drive that Leafa gained. That made it even more confusing. If an Organization member didn't have a heart, could he share his soul? She didn't have time to think about that, and pursued after Lisanna, her Keyblade at the ready to fight.

Queen Shagotte looked down to see the two girls that came up to her and the Heartless. "Just hold on, your Highness!" Lisanna cried out, "We'll get you out of there!" "Please do so!" the queen called back as the Prison Keeper roared in fury, ready to brawl.

"Alright, you overgrown cabbages, time to get burned!" Leafa shouted, and she charged in with Keyblade at hand, which started to burn as well. She unleashed a storm of fiery slashes at the Heartless. The flames of the attack made the Exceeds panic a bit, fearing of getting singed.

The Parasite Heartless tried attacking her with their tentacles, but she flipped over the attack, then firing a fireball from her hands at the one with Nichiya in it, and he got caught in the blaze. "Sorry about that!" Leafa apologized before continuing her assault.

Meanwhile, in Augur's Quarter, Natsu and Happy were walking up the steps into the square. Natsu had a few lumps on his head, and he had a grumpy expression on his face.

"Aw, man!" he moaned, "If Erza hadn't butted into our battle like that, I would've beaten Gray!" "But she did stop you before you destroyed the whole town." Happy pointed out, "It's like she said, take it to the Coliseum, and not in the streets." "Oh, so you're siding with Erza?! I thought you were my friend!" Natsu barked at him. "Well you did torch the entire top floor of that hotel." Happy recalled, shrugging off Natsu's comment.

"Well, in any case, all that fighting really built up an appetite." Natsu stated, patting his stomach, "I could really use some fire right now. I wonder where I can find some?" "There's bound to be some somewhere." Happy replied, looking around, "Maybe someone has fire magic here."

Just then, Natsu stopped, his nose picking up something. "Hey, I got a whiff of some strong flames just now." he said, his eyes closed as he followed his nose. "Really? Where?" Happy asked him, following Natsu as he wandered over to the edge of Augur's Quarter, along the seaside.

Natsu opened his eyes, looking out in the distance, where the other's were fighting far from eyesight. However, the momentary flashes of Leafa's flames could be seen. "Ooh, looks like a fight's goin' on over there!" Natsu stated. "And it looks like one of them is using a lot of fire attacks, too." Happy added.

"Gettin' a free meal and smacking some faces. Oh yeah, I'm all fired up now!" Natsu stated, bringing his fist into his palm, "Happy, time to fly!" "Aye, sir!" Happy replied, and with that, the cat picked up Natsu and flew him towards the battle.

The Prison Keeper slashed out with its' claws, but the two girls dodged it. "I'll show you real claws!" Lisanna shouted back, and using her Take-Over magic, she entered a new form that was still humanoid, but with some cat features, like cat ears, a striped-tail, and her arms and hands became cat-like with sharp claws. She also wore a blue and black-stripped two-piece halter bikini and a choker with a bell.

Lisanna jumped up and slashed furiously at the face of the Heartless. It roared in pain, and tried biting at her, but she quickly avoided it. Kairi tried to attack it while it was distracted, but it saw her coming, and slashed at her, making her collapse to the ground. It was about to attack her again had Cat Soul Lisanna not bounded in and saved her.

"Are you alright, Kairi?" Lisanna asked, putting Kairi down. "I'm fine." Kairi replied, though she was a disgruntled, "My aerial combat isn't as good up there. The only place I can make a definite hit is on the cage, but that's where the Exceed Queen is at." "I know." Lisanna agreed, looking up at the Heartless, "That monster is quick with those claws. And with Shagotte in the way, it's gonna be tough."

Just then, the Prison Keeper spread its' arms out and opened its' jaws, sucking something from the air. The cage with the Queen in it started to glow, and it looked like Queen Shagotte was in pain. "What's going on, now?" Kairi asked, seeing yellow streams of energy being sucked into the Heartless' body. "That energy…it's magic energy!" Lisanna realized, "It's sucking in the magical energy from the air!" "But how is it doing that?!" Kairi asked, then noticing Shagotte in pain, she guessed, "Is it because it has the Queen?" "More than likely." Lisanna answered, "It's probably using the Exceed Queen's magical powers like a conductor, only it's drawing in the magic for itself!"

Once it drew enough power into itself, it's arms glowed, then turned green. It then slashed down at the two, who avoided it. It quickly got to Lisanna, who was surprised at its' increased speed, got bitten by the tail, swung her around, then slammed her into the ground. "Lisanna!" Kairi cried, jumping into action and attacking the Heartless with furious strikes, damaging it.

The Prison Keeper didn't turn to her, but instead changed the color of its' arms to dark yellow. It started spinning around, its' claws nearly grazing Kairi as she doubled back. However, she looked up to see it spinning and firing lasers all around. Kairi guarded herself as the lasers came crashing all around her and hitting her Keyblade, which she used to endure. The attack also affected the other battles, and even hitting Gajeel in the back before getting struck by his Parasite Cage's tentacle. "Hey, I'm trying to fight here!" he barked at the Prison Keeper and its' combatants.

In the air, Natsu and Happy finally arrived to the scene of the battle. "Whoa! Look at all them!" Happy stated, "And there are Exceeds in all of those monsters!" "Yeah, it looks like the Heartless that are roaming about in the city." Natsu recalled, "But it looks like someone's beaten us to the punch."

"I see Gajeel and Pantherlily fighting a couple of them down there!" Happy noticed. "Wait, Gajeel got to this fight first before me?! Not fair!" Natsu shouted. "Look, even Carla and Wendy are among them." Happy added, "I guess all the Dragon Slayers were fighting except for you, Natsu." This didn't settle well with the fire-breathing wizard.

An explosion of fire caused them to see Leafa's battle with the two Parasite Cages. "Is that Leafa?" Natsu asked, "She smells different." "Aye! She's gotta be in one of those Soul Drives that we saw before." Happy stated, "Evidently, this one seems to give her firepower like you." "Awesome!" Natsu stated, watching as Leafa unleashed her ground Finisher 'Fire Tornado', producing two flaming chakrams and sending them spinning around in a fiery blaze, causing serious damage to the Heartless, and singing Nichiya.

Happy noticed the last set of combatants, and cried out in surprise. "What is it, buddy?" Natsu asked, seeing the shocked expression on Happy's face, and looking to see where he was looking at. His pupil's shrunk in shock as he saw Lisanna on the ground, avoiding the laser-fire from the Prison Keeper. "No way…" Natsu whispered, "Is that…Lisanna?" "But how is she here?" Happy asked quietly, "Could that be the Edolas Lisanna?" The two were too surprised to know what to think.

* * *

**Chapter 4: Fairy Tail Bonds**

"I got this!" Lisanna stated, and she bounded forward and jumped at the Heartless, slashing furiously at the Heartless, making it stop spinning and float back down to the ground. Kairi lowered her guard and looked up to see the Exceed Queen in the cage, dizzy from the spinning. _I can't let that person get into any more trouble._ she thought to herself, _I need to find a way to free her from the cage, but how?_ After a moment of thinking, she came up with a solution. The Keyblade. She looked down at it, wondering. She had never unlocked anything with it before, and Leafa was still busy with the other two Parasite Cages, so she had to at least try.

As Lisanna leapt back to Kairi's side, reverting back to normal, Kairi said, "Hey, Lisanna. I have an idea on how to free the Queen, but you need to keep it stationary long enough for me to unlock the cage. Can you do that?"

"It's gonna be tricky." Lisanna replied, "But then again, nothing's impossible for a Fairy Tail wizard. And even if I haven't spoken to Natsu and the others about me being here, that doesn't mean I won't give up without a fight." Lisanna and Kairi smirked at one another. Their resolve was set and ready. Natsu heard everything from above, and looked like he was about to cry. It was really her. His childhood friend was really alive.

Lisanna transformed into a bird, and soared high into the sky, drawing the Heartless' attention, who's arms had turned red. It then started expelling fireballs from its' mouth at her, trying to hit her, but she avoided them. Lisanna got above the Heartless, and transformed into a giant rabbit, falling towards the Heartless. She was gonna use her weight to press it to the ground and make it immobile. However, the Heartless shot one more large fireball at her, and it exploded in her face, causing smoke to billow around her. "Lisanna!" cried Kairi and Natsu in unison.

Kairi saw Lisanna fall from the sky, back to human form. Kairi raced forward, and made a leaping grab for her, using her own body to cushion her fall. Lisanna got injured badly from the attack. "Hold on, Lisanna. I'll use my healing magic on you." Kairi told her, raising herself and producing her Keyblade.

Just as she was about to use Cura, she saw the shadow of the Prison Keeper and and turn to see it looming over them, drawing in breath to fire another fireball. "Get out of the way!" Shagotte called out to them. "Kairi! Lisanna!" Leafa shouted, unable to reach them in time. Wendy and Carla were afraid to see what was gonna happen. It even drew Gajeel and Lily's attention. Kairi was too shocked to move.

_(Cue Fairy Tail OST 'Natsu's Theme')_

"_Fire Dragon Iron Fist!_" shouted Natsu, striking the Prison Keeper from above with his fiery fist, making it crash to the ground. Kairi and Lisanna looked to see their savior falling from the air, surrounded by wisps of flames. Lisanna was shocked the most. "Natsu!" she gasped. "Salamander!" Gajeel growled. "Nice timing!" Leafa stated.

Kairi was stunned for a second on Natsu's entrance, seeing the Heartless collapse on its' side, dazed from the attack. Natsu landed onto the ground, facing the Heartless with fury in his eyes. "If you think you're gonna attack them, then you're sorely mistaken." he warned it, "I'd just found Lisanna, and I'm not letting you take her away from me again!" Lisanna was surprised at this statement, then blushed as she said, "Oh, Natsu."

As Kairi rushed over to the cage where the Queen was at, Happy came shooting down from the sky, crying, "Lisanna!" as he dove into Lisanna's arms. "Happy!" Lisanna stated. Happy raised his head, his eyes pouring with tears. "It's really you, Lisanna!" he bawled, "You're alive! I'm so happy to see you again!" "I'm glad to see you, too, Happy." Lisanna replied, rubbing her cheek on Happy's face, "It's been too long! I missed you so much!"

Kairi smiled at their reunion, then turned to the cage, where Queen Shagotte was laying on the side of the cage. Kairi raised her Keyblade and concentrated. The tip lit up, then shot towards the lock on the cage. It unlocked itself, and opened up the door. Kairi raced forwards and pulled Shagotte out of the cage.

"Are you alright, your Highness?" Kairi asked. Shagotte opened her eyes, and looked to Kairi. "Yes. Thank you so much." she replied. Kairi smiled at her, then placed her back onto her feet. "You'd better retreat to a safe distance." she told her. Shagotte nodded and raced off towards where the rest of the Exceeds were.

As Kairi returned to Lisanna and Happy's side, they all looked to Natsu, who hadn't moved from the spot as the Prison Keeper started to raise itself. Lisanna was a bit hesitant, and she started, "Natsu, I…" "You can explain it to me later." Natsu stopped her, "All that matters is that you're here, and you're still alive." He turned his head to Lisanna, smiling innocently. "It's great to see ya again, Lisanna." he told her, who responded by tearing up and smiling. "You looove her, Natsu." Happy sassed. "Way to ruin a moment, cat!" Leafa groaned.

Kairi bent down and placed a hand on Lisanna's shoulder, drawing her attention. "See? I told you things would work out." she told her. Lisanna got to her feet again, letting go of Happy as he flew there. "You were right." Lisanna told her, "Thanks a lot for supporting me." "No problem." Kairi responded, "You've been helping me believe in myself, too. That's just what friends do; We look out for one another." Kairi and Lisanna looked to one another, feeling their strong connection between one another.

Just then, Kairi's body started to glow a bright light. At the same time, Lisanna's chest started to glow brightly. The two were shocked at the scene, and so were Natsu and Happy. The others also noticed what was going on with the two girls. The Heartless shielded themselves from the light.

"Whoa, what's happening to you two?" Natsu asked. "Lisanna's chest is glowing, but Kairi's whole entire body is lighting up!" Happy noticed. "What's happening to me?" Lisanna asked, slightly terrified at this. "This bright light…" Kairi muttered, "It's so warm." "It's got to be it." Leafa understood the situation, "That light is the power of the Soul Drive. Kairi's about to gain her very own!"

Lisanna touched the light in her chest, and pulled out a bright orb. It shot into the air, surprising her and Happy as it spiraled upwards, then shot back down in front of Kairi. "Is this…a Soul Drive?" Kairi asked, shocked at the bright orb in front of her. "Pretty…" Happy muttered. "Is this how a Soul Drive is made?" Lisanna asked Kairi. "I think so." Kairi replied, recalling how she witnessed Leafa gaining her Soul Drives from NiGHTS and Serah.

Kairi touched the orb, and it dove into her. She felt the warmth of the light in her heart as her body glowed white. "So this is what a Soul Drive feels like." she stated, closing her eyes, "I can feel it; My connection with Lisanna, and vice versa. It's a strong connection of wills just waiting to be unleashed." Kairi opened her eyes, then faced the Prison Keeper, who glowered down at her. Natsu, Lisanna and Happy watched as she spread her arms upwards and shouted, "_Animal Soul!_" Her body bursted with the new energy.

In an cutscene, Kairi produced a magic circle, which enveloped her body in a bright light before she reappeared in her new attire. She appeared in a field, watching the sunset in the distance, Lisanna's gravestone made by Natsu right behind her. She closed her eyes, then opened them again, smiling. "_Their hearts will live on as long as we remember!_" she called out, the golden glowing symbol of Fairy Tail appearing behind her as she took a stance.

Kairi's new appearance was much different from before. For one, the fringes on her forehead were dyed white, like Lisanna's hair. Her attire was composed of a short, red dress with a pink collar and white bow, her white-jeweled pendent showing a bit from underneath. She had detached pink sleeves on her arms, held by gold rings at the top. She also wore tall, black stockings and brown shoes. Finally, the red mark of Fairy Tail was branded below her left shoulder.

"Whoa!" Happy gasped, seeing Kairi's new look. "I remember those clothes." Natsu realized, "Lisanna was wearing them before she left two years ago. How come you're wearing them?" "Because that is Lisanna's Soul Drive." Leafa replied, holding back the tentacles of the Heartless with a wall of flames, "The clothing represents the Soul Drive she is using. And it isn't just them that has changed, too." "Kairi?" Lisanna asked her. Kairi turned to Lisanna, smiling. "Thanks so much for lending me your power." she thanked her, "Now let me do the favor of putting it to good use!"

Kairi looked determined as she charged at the Heartless with Keyblade at hand. She begun slashing at the Heartless with a great amount of force. The Heartless recovered from the attack, and slashed its' claw at her. "Kairi, look out!" cried Lisanna. Kairi disappeared before she got hit, and ended up in the air, her arms turned wings as she flapped them in the air, keeping herself airborne.

"She's got wings?!" Natsu asked, his eyes bugging out. "That's just like my Animal Soul Take-Over magic!" Lisanna added, shocked at Kairi's new power. "Yep. That's the other thing about Soul Drives." Leafa explained, "Not only to they take on the characteristics of the person's soul, but also mimic their powers as well in some ways." "I get it!" Lisanna realized, "So she is using my powers to aid her in battle."

"And it's all because you two became close friends that she gained this power." Leafa told her, "It's just like what Sora says, 'My friends are my power'." "My friends…are my power." Lisanna echoed, watching Kairi bearing down upon the Prison Keeper in the air.

_(Cue 'Fairy Tail Theme')_

After a few seconds, Natsu smirked. "I don't know about you, but I'm ready to give our friends even more power." he declared, his fists combusting in flames, "Whaddya say, you guys?" "Aye, sir!" Happy agreed. "Right. Let's show the Heartless what Fairy Tail is all about!" Lisanna added. Natsu and Happy dashed to Leafa's aid while Lisanna entered into her Harpy mode, and flew up to aid Kairi.

Gajeel had just freed the Exceeds from the Heartless, including the elder Exceeds. He was enduring the lashes from the back by the Parasite Cage's tentacles while he gave the Exceeds an opening. "If you wanna trade lashes, I'll give ya a serious thrashing!" Gajeel threatened the Heartless, using is Iron Dragon's Club to shove the Heartless away. He then inhaled deeply as he called out, "_Iron Dragon's Roar!_", unleashing his metallic breath attack, severely damaging the Heartless and destroying it. Gajeel chuckled maliciously at his victory.

Lily was still dishing out punches from his fists, dazing his opponent. He got to the cage of the Heartless. "Don't worry. I'll free all of you." he assured, starting to pry open the teeth of the Heartless. Just then, Lily disappeared in a puff of smoke, reverting into his smaller, weaker form. "Oh, no! I'm out of magical energy." he gasped. The Parasite Cage came out of its' dazed state, and was ready to attack Lily while he was vulnerable.

"I'll save you!" Wendy called out, getting from behind the Parasite cage and inhaling deeply. "_Sky Dragon's Roar!_" she shouted, breathing out a huge cyclone of wind from her mouth, blasting the Parasite Cage and sending it flying. It vanished into nothingness, and all the Exceeds were free from the attack, able to get enough magic to produce their wings. "Thank you so much!" thanked one of the Exceeds. "Well done, Wendy." Carla commended the little girl, who giggled at her praise. "Nice save, young Dragon Slayer." Lily added.

Leafa and Natsu were dealing with the remaining two Parasite Cages. Leafa convinced Natsu to help free the Exceeds before beating the Heartless. Happy distracted the Heartless by flying all around them, annoying them well enough to have them pursue him. This gave the two fiery fighters the chance to pry open the cages.

Leafa used her arms and legs to pry open the teeth of one of the Parasite Cages, but she was struggling. "Hurry! Get moving!" she moaned through gritted teeth, and the Exceeds escaped as quickly as they could.

At the same time, Natsu got enraged enough to pry open the teeth with his bare hands. "Alright! Time to get outta here!" he told the Exceeds, which were Nichiya and the guards. However, his demonic face and the fire burning around his face scared them to death. They shot out of the cage in a frenzy, panicked from Natsu's face. "Wow, they sure got out fast." Natsu noticed. "I think they were terrified of you, Natsu." Happy pointed out. "Yeah, nothing makes you move more than a frightening, fiery face." Leafa added.

Once the Exceeds were free, Natsu punched the Heartless he was dealing with into the air. Leafa jumped up to meet the Heartless. "It's time to burn, baby!" she stated, and unleashed her 'Firetooth' aerial Finisher, hurling four chakrams made of fire all around her, striking both Heartless in the air and on the ground. Unfortunately, two of them came at Natsu, and bursted into flames on contact.

"Gah!" Leafa cried out in a panicked tone, "Oh, no! He's gonna be really pissed at me for that!" "Don't worry. Natsu's gonna be fine." Happy assured her. Leafa looked to Happy, then heard the sound of something being sucked in. She looked down and was shocked to see what was happening. Natsu was sucking in the flames from his mouth and nose, eating them up like it was a milkshake.

Once he sucked in every last wisp, he exhaled deeply. "Woah, those were some weird-tasting flames. Not bad, but weird." Natsu stated, "But now I've got a real fire in my belly!" "Wha- How did he do that?!" Leafa asked, shocked to see what happened. "Natsu is immune to fire attack." Happy explained, "He also eats flames to replenish his magical energy." "That's incredible." Leafa gasped, "I've heard of people eating flames, but not in this fashion. Better get that one memorized."

Natsu brought his fists together, then inhaled deeply. "Now let me give you a fiery farewell." he told the Heartless, "_Fire Dragon's Roar!_" He expelled a huge amounts of flames from his mouth, blasting both Heartless with it. They came out, singed from the attack. Leafa dove down and slashed one of the Heartless, defeating it. Then she dashed forward, and with a flaming uppercut from her Keyblade, destroyed the second one. She landed just as she came out of her Soul Drive, reverting back to normal.

"Looks like the only one that's left is this one." Lisanna stated, using her Harpy form to make some clawing kicks at the head of the Prison Keeper. Kairi was on the ground, dashing at the Heartless. "Time to test this forms Finisher!" Kairi declared, and she entered Animal Soul: Cat, gaining the same traits as Lisanna's form, then making fast-acting swipes all around her, slashing the Heartless furiously. This was her ground Finisher 'Cat Fury'. It backed off, barely hanging onto life.

"Let's finish it, Lisanna!" Kairi declared as Lisanna landed right next to her. "You got it, Kairi!" Lisanna replied, and the two charged at the Heartless. Kairi had her Keyblade ready while Lisanna entered her Animal Soul: Cat. The two simultaneously swiped at the Heartless with everything they got. creating an X on the body of the Heartless where they slashed. They landed onto the ground, both girls reverting back to their normal form, and the Heartless faded into darkness, leaving a crystal heart that floated upwards and disappeared. All of the Heartless were defeated.

Lisanna and Kairi got together as the rest of the fighters joined the duo as well. "Way to go, you guys!" cheered Wendy. "You've still got it, Lisanna." Natsu stated. Lisanna looked to Natsu, smiling. "I couldn't have done it without Kairi." she told them, turning to the girl in question, "Thank you so much." "No problem." Kairi replied, "It was fun working with you." The two raised their hands, and high-fived one another in victory.

* * *

**Chapter 5: Confession**

Once the Exceeds were all accounted for, they thanked everyone for helping them out, and promised that they would be more careful from now on. With that, the Exceeds departed, leaving the group to watch them go. With the Exceeds safe, the team left the Industrial Area, except for Gajeel and Lily, and went back into town.

As soon as they got to the Cactaur Plaza, they heard someone cry out, "Natsu! Wendy!" It was Lucy, followed by Gray and Erza. "Yo, guys!" Natsu greeted them, "You just missed the best butt-kicking ever today." "Aye! And we saved the Exceeds from the Heartless!" Happy added.

"Really?" Gray asked, already half-naked, "And you didn't invite me to the battle?" "Why would I invite you to my fight, streaker?" Natsu growled. "What's wrong? Ya feel like I'll take out more enemies than you would?" Gray growled back. "There were a ton of them, and they were all powerful monsters that you wouldn't have a chance on beating!" "Oh yeah? Then how long did it take you to beat them, cause I would've iced them faster!" Gray added. "My fire cooked them in seconds!" Natsu snapped back. "Honestly, I'm just glad I didn't get to fight them." Lucy sighed.

Erza then noticed Lisanna right behind Kairi and Leafa, and was surprised. "Hold on a moment." she told the two boys, "Before anything, I want to ask who is she?" She pointed directly at Lisanna. "Whoa! She looks just like Lisanna!" Gray noticed. "Duh, that's because it IS Lisanna." Natsu told them. "For real?!" Lucy asked. "It can't be. She died two years ago!" Erza retorted. "Lisanna, you'd probably have to explain it to them." Kairi told Lisanna, who nodded in approval.

She then begun to explain to Lucy, Gray, Natsu, Happy and Erza about everything she told to Kairi and the others. She also added the parts on how she met Kairi everything up to that point.

When she was done, the other three were speechless at this. Finally, Lucy started, "I guess if you put it that way, it makes sense on how you actually got here." "But why didn't you tell us before all of this?" Natsu asked. "Because we weren't home yet." Lisanna replied, "I had a feeling you were worried about the rest of the guild and keeping each other safe through this time, that I didn't want you to worry about me."

"What are you talking about?" Gray asked, "We didn't even know you were alive before all of this." "Yeah, but now that you're here, we have one more member of Fairy Tail still with us." Lucy added. "It does put me at ease to see you are safe, Lisanna." Erza stated. "Plus, just wait till we do get back home." Natsu added, "Mirajane and Elfman will be so happy to see you again!" "Mira…big brother Elf…" Lisanna muttered, thinking about her siblings.

"You'll be back soon enough." Leafa assured her, "Sora, Asuna and my brother are out there right now, saving one world at a time, and freeing them from the tyranny of the Heartless and Unversed. Then, once they defeat the enemies behind this whole mess, your world will be restored back to normal!"

"Trust me, you should have faith in Sora and the others." Kairi added, coming to Lisanna's side, "If there's one thing I know about him, is that he will always keep the promises he's made with his friends. And maybe, once the worlds are back to normal, we might even come to see you again." "Yeah, you should definitely be a part of Fairy Tail." Natsu agreed. "Aye!" Happy added. "I can't wait for that day, Kairi, Leafa." Lisanna told her. Kairi smiled happily at this.

Just then, they saw a large dust cloud coming their way. What was making it was Riku and Recon, racing towards the group. "Kairi! Leafa!" Riku called out. "Riku!" Kairi gasped, wondering why he was rushing. They stopped in front of the group, slightly out of breath.

"We had better get going now, before Patina catches up with us!" Recon panted. "We had just got away from her, but we should get back to Saitama again." Riku added, "We still have to protect it while the others are out." "That's true." Leafa agreed. "Then we'd better get to the Gummi ship." Kairi decided.

"Hey!" shouted a voice. Riku and Recon panicked as they turned to see Patina flying at them on her dust pan at high speeds. "Where do you think you're going?!" she shouted, the fire in her eyes stating she was not pleased. "Crap! She's catching up with us!" Recon exclaimed. "We'd better get outta here!" Riku shouted, and he and Recon raced off towards Sahz's Hanger. "Wait for us!" Kairi called out as she and Leafa pursued them.

"Kairi! Leafa!" Lisanna called to them as they ran off. The two girls turned to see Lisanna pointed her index finger high into the air. "I'll see you real soon! I promise!" she called to them. The other Fairy Tail members looked to one another, nodded in agreement, then raised their index fingers as well, signaling their promise as well. Kairi and Leafa looked to one another, smiled, then mirrored the hand gesture back at the group, returning the promise. They knew that one day, they would see one another again.

"You ain't gonna get away from me!" Patina roared at the four, passing by the Fairy Tail members, "If you want to pay off your work, then you're gonna have to work for my shop for the next four months!" "Four months?!" Leafa and Kairi cried in unison. "Doesn't she realize the worlds are at stake here?!" Leafa demanded. "I guess not." Kairi chuckled. With a good reason to leave, they pursued the boys as they returned to their adventures again.

* * *

**Author: And that's how Kairi and Leafa got to know Lisanna. In all honesty, she's one of my favorite female characters in 'Fairy Tail', except for Erza. I felt like she and Kairi would make a great bond together. I'll figure something out with how they get to meet again, don't worry!  
**

**Sora: So what about a new world that Kirito and Asuna are gonna visit?**

**Author: You just saw it. The next world that they are gonna be going to in 'Sword Art Kingdom: Falling Fantasy' is gonna be:**

**Fairy Tail: Edolas Arc**

**Kirito: So it's gonna take place before they were sent to Yusnaan?**

**Author: Yeah! Just like how Sora and Riku visit the Pinnochio world, Prankster Paradise, in 'Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance', this one will take place before or close to the events.**

**Sora: Cool! I hope you guys have fun there!**

**Author: I'm sure they will. By the way, the new DLC Soul Drives for Sora, Riku and Kairi are now on my DeviantART page on 'Jacksonswordsman'. Kairi's Animal Soul is there, so go check it out! Thanks for readin' my story, and be patient for the next one!**


	8. The Other Organization! Mushroom XIII!

**Now we take a step back even further, to the original 'Sword Art Kingdom', where we see some stories that haven't been told. The next two stories are all about the 'proofs' that they accomplished. Just read and enjoy!**

* * *

_(I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Sword Art Online. All I do is form my imagination from both stories, and share it with the world!)_

_(The following has no timeline with the SAK story. However, they do have all the powers and magic up to the end of SAK, so the closest timeline would be after the fall of Organization XIII and before Kirito, Asuna, Yui, Leafa and Recon left to their world.)_

The heroes were flying the Gummi ship through space, relaxing a bit. They were eating a plate of sandwiches that Asuna cooked up for them. "It's good to have a break once in a while." Sora sighed, taking a bite out of the sandwich. "And with how good the meal is, the Gummi ship will be filled to the brim with smiles!" Goofy added. "I'll take that as a 'thanks' for the food." Asuna replied.

Kirito was holding a newspaper, looking through it while munching his sandwich. "What'cha lookin' at?" Donald asked him. "I'm just looking at the articles from Radiant Garden." Kirito replied, "I wanted to see how the SAO Players are adapting to that world."

"With everything that had happened to them, I'm sure there might be some sorts of news here and there." Asuna guessed, "Found anything so far?" "Nothing to brag about." Kirito replied, "As far as I can tell, the biggest amount of news on this paper I've seen so far is the number charts of Heartless and Nobodies defeated between the ARMY, the Knights of the Blood Oath, and the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee."

As Kirito flipped the page again, he examined the pages, then something caught his eye. "Hold on, this might be something." he stated, getting everyone's attention, "It says here that there is a new Heartless that has popped up outside of the cities walls that no one has been able to defeat."

"Seriously?" Sora asked. "Does it say anymore?" Yui asked, flying over to Kirito's shoulder. "It says here that the Heartless doesn't attack anyone, nor does it move from its' spot." Kirito read, "It simply waits for someone to accept its' challenge." "What kind of challenge?" "What kind of challenge is it?" Donald asked. "That's the thing; the people don't have a clue." Kirito replied, "What they do know is that this Heartless has repeated the same message to all who challenge it. 'To defeat me, #9, keep me dancing'."

The group was now even more confused than before. "To defeat me, #9…" Sora echoed. "…keep me dancin'?" Goofy asked. "I have no idea what it's trying to say here, but it sounds like it could be a great challenge for us!" Kirito replied, "Let's go to Radiant Garden, and check it out for ourselves." "You got it, papa!" Yui replied, flying over to the control panel, "Setting coordinates to Radiant Garden…engage!" The Gummi ship changed its' course, and flew towards the next world.

_(Cue 'Let's Wondering' opening)_

They arrived at Radiant Garden, and descended down into town. When they arrived, they went straight towards Merlin's house to see if anyone knew about the mysterious Heartless. Fortunately, Leon did. He was inside with Cid, who was at the computer. When Leon asked why they were there, they explained about how they heard about the unbeatable Heartless.

"I see. So you want to see if you can beat it, huh?" Leon asked. "Well, good luck on that one." Cid told them, "Everyone tried their best, but no dice. That Heartless just won't be beaten by anyone." "And what's more, they only allow one person to challenge it at a time." Leon added, "I've tried, Yuffie, the SAO Players, everyone. But no one has been able to beat it."

"Though it isn't threatening, the challenge of beating it is rewarding, right?" Kirito asked. "It must be." Leon replied, "But even so, no one is able to figure out what the message it left for us." "You mean the 'keep me dancing' hint?" Asuna asked. "Exactly." Leon responded, "But since you guys are here, maybe you can figure out the message." "That's why we are here." Kirito answered, "Let's go see this Heartless!"

Leon led the group out of town, through the bailey, and passed the broken wall that was left from the Heartless Siege. They arrived at the place where they fought against Demyx, the Organization member that they first defeated. In the area, they found a single Heartless, with a mushroom cap head, and dressed in what appeared to be the Organization's coat. The Heartless symbol was on its' coat.

"So this is the Heartless?" Sora asked curiously. "Looks kinda like one of the Organization XIII." Goofy asked. "You're right. It does look that way." Kirito agreed, looking at the coat, "I wonder if it has any relationship with the Organization?" "Well, whatever it is, I know we can beat it!" Sora responded, stepping forward, rolling his shoulders to loosen them up.

As soon a she approached the Heartless, an echoing voice spoke up. _If you want to defeat me, #9, keep me dancing…_ the voice said. The team looked around, then at the Heartless. Was it speaking to them. "Oh, I'll give you a dance you'll never forget!" Sora responded, and he charged in with his Keyblade.

The moment he struck it, the Heartless started to spin around the circular picture on the ground before it came to a stop, not even damaged. "What the heck?!" Sora gasped. "It spun the moment Sora hit it!" Donald stated. "Gawrsh, ya think it could be dizzy?" Goofy asked. _I haven't danced enough._ the Heartless told Sora, Keep me dancing… "If that's how you like it, then…" Sora started, and he begun his assault on the Heartless.

For the next ten minutes, Sora attempted to unleash his strongest attacks onto the Heartless, trying to defeat it, but all it did was spin around in the same circle coming to a stop a few seconds after Sora hit it. Every time it stopped, it kept saying it hasn't danced enough. Everyone watched Sora's raging attacks, trying to defeat it.

Finally, he panted and fell backwards, exhausted from the constant attacking and giving everything he had in his attacks. The Heartless was aways from him, unscathed and stationary. "Sora gave everything he got against it, and it wasn't enough." Kirito stated. "Why won't it go down?!" squawked Donald. "There has to be a weakness to it somewhere." Leon guessed, "But I can't tell what it is."

Asuna was pondering on how to beat the Heartless when Goofy said, "Well it keeps on saying that it wants to keep dancin'. And Sora did make it dance a lot." "Yeah. All those attacks Sora did only make it keep spinning until it stopped." Yui added.

At this, Asuna's eyes flashed with inspiration. "That's it!" she gasped, making the group jump in surprise, "I know how to beat it!" "You do?!" Sora asked incredulously. "Yes, and I believe Kirito is the best choice for beating him." Asuna stated, turning to Kirito, "Let me whisper to you what you need to do." Kirito bent his ear, and Asuna whispered the instruction into his ear. The others looked to one another, wondering what she hand in mind.

When she was done whispering, Kirito looked to her, then to the Heartless, and understood what he needed to do. "Okay, I gotcha." Kirito understood, "Then let's do it. _Limit!_" Kirito entered his Limit form, carrying his Oblivion and Elucidator Keyblade at hand, ready to go.

Kirito approached the Heartless, his Keyblades at the ready, then he started swinging at it. It started spinning, and Kirito pursued it, striking it with as many back to back attacks as he could, the more he did this, the more constant spinning the Heartless was doing.

"I don't get what Kirito is doing here." Leon stated. "Simple. He's keeping it dancing." Asuna replied, confusing the others, "You see, it was what Yui said that caught my attention. 'All those attacks Sora did only make it keep spinning until it stopped'. That made me realize that we were looking at it wrongly. We didn't need to use strong attacks, but chain attacks. Keep attacking it so it won't stop moving." "That's it! Now I see what's going on." Leon understood, "That's pretty clever, Asuna."

After about eighty strikes, Kirito wasn't able to keep his chain of attacks going, and he stopped. The moment it stopped moving, it looked to Kirito, and jumped for joy as fireworks shot into the air. _I have danced enough. Thank you._ the Heartless thanked him, _We are the Mushroom XIII. We seek those who will take on our challenge. Twelve of us are scattered about throughout the worlds, waiting for someone to challenge us. Once we are satisfied, then the thirteenth will appear beyond here_._ We await for you, Keyblade Wielders._ And with that, the Heartless disappeared.

Kirito reverted back to normal and looked to the group. "Mushroom XIII?" Sora asked. "Looks like there are plenty of Heartless out there, waiting to test us." Yui guessed. "They aren't as threatening as the Organization, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't go out there and find them." Kirito stated, "Plus, it could be fun taking on all these challenges they give us."

"Kirito, I know this is interesting, but I don't think we have time to do that." Asuna retorted. "Why not? Defeating Heartless is something we should do!" Sora told her, "I'd say we should go search for the remaining Mushroom XIII." Donald and Goofy agreed on it. Asuna sighed, but saw that Sora was right. Fighting Heartless was what they did, and these ones wanted to challenge them.

"We'll be seeing you, Leon!" Sora told him. "Good luck out there." Leon replied, "These Mushroom XIII Heartless might challenge you to different battles. Keep an open mind." "We will." Yui responded. "Thanks for your consideration." Kirito added. And with that, the heroes left for their Gummi ship.

* * *

The first place they went to was the Land of the Dragons, Mulan's world. They arrived inside the palace, where they were reunited with Mulan again. After explaining what was going on, Mulan replied that there was a Heartless at the front of the palace that no warrior in China could avoid.

The team arrived outside the palace, seeing the Heartless there. "It's the same as the other Heartless." Goofy noticed. "The only difference is in size, and the number on its' back." Kirito corrected him. "What does this one want?" Donald asked.

"Let me approach it." Asuna told the others, and she stepped towards the Heartless, who looked up at her. _If you want to beat me, #4, you must defeat me while I'm 'it'._ the Heartless told her. "Defeat you while you are 'it'?" Asuna echoed, "I'm not sure what you mean."

Before she could contemplate, the Heartless disappeared and reappeared behind her. "Asuna, look out!" Kirito shouted, but Asuna was ahead of her. She dodged to the side as it leapt towards her, then used Blizzaga to defeat it. As soon as she did, two more appeared on either side of her, and she escaped being attack while they leapt at her. She unleashed Thundaga onto them, defeating them. Two more appeared afterwards, jumping at her.

Asuna was doing her best avoiding the Heartless while returning with magic attacks. Asuna was nimble enough to avoid getting hit, but could tell she was running low on magic energy. "Asuna's doing the right thing right now." Kirito told the others, "It's as the Heartless said, she must defeat them while the Heartless is 'it'." "I see. It's a game of tag!" Sora understood, "She has to fight them without touching them."

"But she needs to defeat them fast." Donald squawked, "Those Heartless aren't giving her any more room to dodge." "That's true." Kirito agreed, "Asuna needs to move faster, and use more magic. And only one form can do that for her."

Asuna backed away as six Heartless clones kept pursuing her. "I got no choice." she muttered to herself, "_Wisdom!_" Asuna entered her blue Wisdom Form, and used the increased speed of the form to move around the field quickly. She then started shooting magic bullets from her Keyblade, defeating the Heartless pursuing her. Since she was floating, she was able to shoot while moving backwards, sideways, all ways. Plus, with her accuracy, she was completely stopping the Heartless.

After a few minutes since the start, during which she shot over eighty-five enemies, one of the Heartless came from behind, and pounced at her, hitting her at last. Asuna fell to the ground, and got back to her floating feet again. The Heartless appeared in front of her. _That was a fun game!_ it said eagerly, _Thank you for playing with me. Hope you give my family just as much fun._ With that, the Heartless disappeared.

The group approached Asuna as she reverted back to normal. "You did awesome, Asuna!" Kirito commended her. "Thanks!" Asuna replied, "It was quite easy to figure out. Doing it was a whole other story." "But that just leaves ten more Heartless." Yui told the group, "Let's head to the next world!" "Okay, but I'm taking the next one, ya hear?!" Sora told the group as they walked to a place where they could teleport to their Gummi ship.

* * *

The next place they discovered a Heartless was in Beast's Castle. When they descended, they immediately met up with Belle and Lumiere. After describing the kind of Heartless they were looking for, the two knew where one was at. They led them to the bridge of the castle, where the heroes saw a Heartless standing there, waiting for them.

"There's the miscreant that you are looking for." Lumiere told the group. "Beast tried to stop it, but it was quite nimble and hard to catch." Belle explained, "It stands in front of the castle, unwilling to move, and we can't get rid of it." "Then let me handle it." Sora replied, stepping forward towards the Heartless.

As soon as he got close to it, Sora asked, "Okay, what's the game you want to play?" _If you want to defeat me, #3, help me with my clumsiness._ said the Heartless in response. "Help with its' clumsiness?" Asuna questioned, "What the heck does that suppose to mean?" "Looks like we're about to find out." Kirito responded as the Heartless floated upwards.

As it turned to fly slowly away, it started dropping orbs of energy from its' body. "What the heck?" Sora asked, "What are those things?" Sora grabbed a couple of the orbs, and they dove into his body. The Heartless kept dropping as it flew away, and dropped tons when it picked up speed. "So is that his clumsiness? It keeps dropping those orbs?" Sora asked, "In that case, I'll just pick them up for ya!" Sora sprinted along the path, using his power 'Draw' to attract the orbs into his body as he ran.

The Heartless went to one end of the bridge, turned around and did a figure-8 along the bridge, moving faster and faster as time went on. Sora kept below it as he continued to run, keeping an eye out for the prize its' drops. "Looks like Sora was able to figure out its' game quickly." Kirito stated as Yui cheered for Sora to keep going. "Sora's always been quick to learn." Goofy chuckled. "Just not always thinking ahead." Donald added.

After a few minutes, the Heartless came to a halt and floated down towards the ground as Sora stopped running, slightly out of breath. "So, how'd I do?" Sora asked it. _Thank you. You made sure to gather plenty of the orbs I have dropped. Your are fast and collective. Use your skills wisely for my family._ The Heartless sparked fireworks, and it disappeared.

"Well done, Sora." Kirito commended him as the group walked towards him. "That was incredible." Belle added, "Who would've thought you could defeat a Heartless like that." "These Heartless are different from the others." Asuna stated, "Each of them was different from every other Heartless we've encountered. It's as if they took on similar traits to someone."

"It's got to be the Organization!" Yui deduced. "How do you know that?" Lumiere asked, confused. "That Heartless Sora just dealt with. It was riding the winds like Xaldin did." Yui noticed, "Not to mention this was the same place we defeated him." "That's true." Asuna agreed, "And the one in Radiant Garden liked to dance, which was similar to Demyx's combat style. And just like this one, we found it in the same place we fought and beaten him."

"There's one more thing." Yui noted, "Each of the Heartless are a number, and in coincidence, each Organization is represented by a number as well, only Roman numerals. From my analysis, Demyx was number IX, and Xaldin was number III. The Heartless in Mulan's world, number IV, is unknown to me."

"So if we know who's number they belong to, we can get more clues to on how to beat them." Kirito deduced, "Even if we don't know all of the members, it's better than nothing. We'd better get to the next world and see where the next Heartless of the Mushroom XIII is at." After thanking Belle and Lumiere for their help, the team departed from Beast's Castle.

* * *

The next world they visited was the Olympus Coliseum. While they didn't find anything above ground, they did find something in the Underworld. According to Pain and Panic, the underlings of Hades, there was an obnoxious Heartless within the Atrium within the Underground caverns. From what was explained in Jiminy's journals, the Atrium was the place where they fought Demyx for the Olympus Stone.

It took some time to get to the place, since the pathway towards the Atrium was a maze. When they arrived, they found the Heartless waiting for them. "So this is where it was." said Donald, acting like he was rolling up his sleeves, "I'll handle it." "I doubt that you could beat him." Asuna stated. "Why not?!" Donald squawked angrily. "Let's ask what it wants before we do anything." Yui suggested.

The group stepped closer to the Heartless, who had begun to spoke to them. _If you want to defeat me, #6, fight my formations within time._ it said to them. "Fight its' formations?" Sora questioned. "I guess it wants us to fight it, but it wants us to do it in a limited amount of time." Kirito guessed.

"You should probably do it, mama." Yui suggested to Asuna, "This Heartless isn't strong, but using speed and accuracy should be really necessary." Asuna looked to Kirito, who had no objections. "Guess it's okay with me, too." Sora agreed, "You got this, Asuna!" "Okay… I'll do it!" Asuna decided, stepping towards the Heartless.

As she was within range of the Heartless, it raised its' hands and shot something into the air. It took the form of a timer, and it was marked '0:45'. "Fourty-five seconds, huh?" Asuna muttered, seeing the amount of time given to her, pulling her Keyblade out, and positioning herself, "Let's start this challenge!"

Asuna thrusted forwards with her Keyblade, making it disappear. It reappeared again, now in a group of six, and in a circular formation. "It has clones!" Donald squawked. " Beat them all up!" Sora shouted. Asuna used her Thundaga spell onto all of them. They next six appeared in a straight line horizontal to Asuna's position. Asuna jumped a bit of a ways, then leapt forward using her 'Flashing Penetrator' Rapier Skill, piercing through one and sending a shockwave that blasted the rest of the Heartless.

The Heartless kept producing clones of six within the atrium, the group taking on multiple formations. Asuna had to be quick on her feet and quick-witted on figuring out how to take them out fast. The clock kept ticking as the battle went on, and this started to put the rest of the group on edge.

Finally, the tenth formation was all six clones scattered around the area, and with seven seconds on the clock. Asuna quickly dispatched the first one, ricocheting off the wall, striking the next one. "Five seconds left!" Goofy hollered. "Hurry, Asuna!" Sora shouted after she sliced the next one.

Four seconds. Asuna charged at the next Heartless, slicing it with her Keyblade. Three seconds. Asuna landed and raced to the next one, ready to stab. Two seconds. Asuna stabbed it, and saw the last two close together. One second. Asuna raised her Keyblade and unleashed Thundaga. destroying the last two just in the nick of time.

The team cheered for Asuna as the Heartless reappeared in the center of the room. _You have done well on your strategic thinking and quick work with my clones._ The Heartless told her, _You must continue to think wisely as you take out the rest of my brethren. I'll see you soon!_ The Heartless sent fireworks into the air, and disappeared.

"That was too close for comfort." Kirito sighed. "Yeah, but at least you beat them in time." Sora stated, "Well done!" Asuna smiled at Sora's compliment. "Let's move onto the next Mushroom!" Yui declared on Kirito's shoulder. "Yeah!" cheered Donald and Goofy in response.

* * *

They decided to go to Disney Castle next, wondering if Queen Minnie would know if any Heartless were inside the castle. While she said the Heartless were no longer able to get into the castle anymore thanks to the Cornerstone of Light, she said that there had been rumors of a Heartless in the past that was unable to be beaten by anyone. Kirito groaned as he knew what this meant; They had to go back through the door in the Cornerstone room, back to Timeless River.

They arrived back in time, and in their 'retro' looks. Kirito didn't like this world because of its' illogical standpoint. The group decided to visit Captain Pete at the docks. When the trio asked him, he said that there was a Mushroom near the waterway that was like a jumping punching bag; It kept moving around and it wanted to be hit a hundred times in a short period of time. As Pete began to rant on how frustrated the Heartless was, the team decided to leave him be in his anger, and find the Heartless.

They discovered it in the corner of the waterway, and it was larger than the others they faced. "So if it wants to be hit in a minimal amount of time, then Kirito should do it, since his reaction time is the fastest of the group." Asuna suggested. "Sounds good to me." Kirito responded, stepping towards the Heartless, immediately entering his Limit Form for extra measure.

As soon as he stepped close to the Heartless, Kirito stated, "Okay, what it your challenge, Mushroom XIII?" _If you want to defeat me, #11, you must reduce me to zero quickly._ the Heartless told him. "Bring it on!" Kirito declared. "Number 11… I don't know what Organization XIII member that is." Yui stated.

The Heartless produced two different numbers; the first being the timer, which started at 0:19, and another number above the Heartless' head, which started at 100. Kirito immediately charged in and started way-laying at the Heartless with his dual-wielding.

Every hit started reducing the number above the Heartless' head, and with the clock ticking down, Kirito had to strike as fast as he could. However, the Heartless wasn't gonna make it easy, as it kept jumping around every few seconds, causing Kirito to pursue and continue to strike. Kirito finished his hundredth strike on the Heartless just when the timer struck with one second left.

Kirito backed away from the Heartless, panting out of exhaustion. The Heartless shot fireworks into the air, cheering for the victory. _You're attack speed with a weapon are the fastest I've seen yet. Well done!_ The Heartless commended him, _Never lose that speed of yours. Be prepared for the challenges my brethren has to offer._ "Thank you." Kirito thanked it as the Heartless disappeared.

"Man, you were moving your arms so fast, they became blurs!" Sora stated. "That's how Kirito works." Asuna stated. "And it was something that I could adapt to, unlike this past world." Kirito stated, rolling his shoulders, "Let's head to the next world." "Do we really have to?" Donald asked, "I mean, we did come back here again…" "Donald!" shouted the group.

* * *

The next world they visited was Port Royal in Jack Sparrow's world. They found Jack and the Black Pearl at the docks, gaining some supplies when the crew confronted him. After asking about any unbeatable Heartless, Jack knew exactly where one was; Within the Isla de Muerta.

"Truth be told, I believed that foul mushroom to be under the influence of the Aztec gold. However, we sought to that, savvy?" Jack asked. "Those Heartless challenge you to different kinds of tests." Kirito explained, "We've been challenged by them. We've defeated five so far, but there are still a few more out there. Take us to the Isla de Muerta, and we'll take care of it from there." "Aye, and I shall join you to see how to defeat this Heartless mushroom." Jack added, walking onto the ship, "Let's be on our way then! Hoist the sails, you land-lubbers!" "Aye!" shouted the boys in response. Asuna sighed, shaking her head at this.

Jack brought the Black Pearl to the island where the chest of Aztec gold was at. After wandering through the caverns a bit, they discovered the Heartless underneath the moonlight, waiting for the group. "I've got this!" Sora declared, racing in front of the group to challenge the Heartless.

Poised and at the ready, Sora readied for the challenge the Heartless was about to give. _If you want to defeat me, #10, strike when you see the real me._ The Heartless told Sora. "Number 10?" Sora asked. "I know! That's Luxord, the Organization member who was in this world before!" Yui recalled. "That wretched Organization person again?" Jack growled, "No wonder I wanted to tie this creature to a rock and toss him into Davy Jones' Locker." "Well, Sora's gonna do that for you." Kirito assured the captain as the Heartless floated into the air. It shot a timer into the air, which was marked '0:55'.

The Heartless produced four more clones of itself, and began shuffling itself and the clones around. "I gotta keep an eye on the real one!" Sora declared, keeping his eyes focused on the real Heartless. When they came to a stop, Sora went to the real one, which was on the farthest left side. He jumped and started unleashing a storm of slices from his Keyblade. The Heartless took damage as the others disappeared in a puff of smoke. After several hits, the Heartless backed off, producing more clones, and shuffling again.

"Keep your eyes open, Sora!" Kirito shouted, "This Heartless isn't gonna make it easy for you!" "This is nothing compared to my fight with Luxord before!" Sora stated, "He was less predicable than these things!" Sora saw the Heartless' stop, and raced to the inner-right Heartless, which was the real thing.

This lasted a couple more times, the Heartless shuffling quicker with each round. Sora had to keep an eye on it as it continued to shuffle. In the last round, he nearly lost it among all of its' clones, but Yui was able to point out which was the real one, the center one, and Sora used every bit of his power to finish it off.

It fell backwards and landed on the floor as Sora landed on his feet. "Ya did it, Sora!" Goofy cheered. "Right you are there, mate." Jack added. The Heartless rose up again, and shot fireworks into the air. _You have a sharp eye for the battle, regardless of the help you gained in the end._ The Heartless told Sora, _Then again, who's to say teamwork isn't helpful either. Keep your eyes locked onto your goals as you continue to fight my comrades_. And with that the Heartless disappeared.

"You know, one thing I've noticed is how kind each of these Heartless are." Asuna stated, "That's not something you get from one of their kind." "I agree. These Heartless aren't normal." Yui stated, "Maybe they have more wits than the rest of them." "Yeah, and hopefully they won't cause any trouble for us." Kirito stated, turning to Jack, "You satisfied on how it worked out, captain?" "It was incredibly ridiculous on how easy it was." Jack stated, "Perhaps I should practice a bit on my swordplay." "You'd better." Kirito chuckled, "No offense, but your sword skills are a bit rusty."

* * *

The next world they went to was Aladdin's world in Agrabah. There, they found Aladdin and Iago, who after hearing about the Heartless, explained about a large Heartless sleeping in the treasure room within the Cave of Wonders. The team decided to work together to find it.

It took a while getting to the deepest part of the Cave of Wonders, going through all the multiple rooms. As soon as they reached the treasure room, they discovered the Heartless in the center of the room, sort of nodding off. "That's the biggest one of them we've seen!" gasped Goofy. "I'll say." Kirito agreed.

"Every time we try getting close to that thing, it keeps hitting the hay." Iago explained, "I keep pecking at him to wake up, but he does nothin' but sawin' logs!" "I've tried defeating this Heartless, too." Aladdin added, "However, when its' asleep, it keeps healing itself." "So it recovers in its' sleep." Asuna summed up, "Meaning we need to strike it harder than it recovers." "Leave that to me." Kirito decided, stepping towards the Heartless. "No fair! I want to have a go at it!" Sora pouted. "You'll get the next one!" Asuna retorted. "Stop your whining!" Donald scolded him.

As Kirito approached the Heartless, he saw the V mark on its' back. "Guess that means this is Heartless number 5." Kirito guessed as the Heartless turned to him. _If you want to defeat me, #5, wake me up from my sleep._ The Heartless told Kirito, then it flipped onto its' side in midair, and fell asleep.

It produced a timer in the air that was marked '0:10'. "Ten seconds?" Asuna questioned. "Then I'd best go all out. _Valor!_" Kirito shouted, entering his Valor Form. Using his powerful attacks with his two Keyblades, he started slashing furiously with powerful moves onto the Heartless, which flinched as it got hit with all the attacks. It only took Kirito five seconds to wake up the Heartless.

It spun as it fell on the floor, then it stood upright again and shot fireworks into the air. _Your power is tremendous._ The Heartless stated, T_here is more to this world than just attacking. You have to have the power to back it up, and that you have. Thanks for waking me up. Now give the rest of my family a wake-up call as well._ And with that, the Heartless disappeared.

"So it was a test of power." Aladdin stated as the group came towards Kirito, "I'm glad you were here, Kirito. I don't think I had the power to defeat that thing." "Now it's just five left." Sora stated, "Let's hurry on over to the next world!" "If we're going along the same path we are now, then I'm afraid of knowing where we would go to next." Asuna moaned.

* * *

What Asuna was afraid of going to was Jack Skellington's world. She highly suggested that they should start in Christmas Town first, to see if the Heartless was there. When they arrived, they were now in their Christmas attire. They started out at Santa's workshop, where they found Santa, worn from the work he had just taken care of. According to him, there was a Heartless that seemed to enjoy being within the plaza where they fought Dr. Finkelstein's at. Asuna sighed in relief, glad to see the Heartless wasn't in Halloween Town.

They made their way to the plaza, where they saw the Heartless. "Now it's my turn!" Sora declared, stepping towards the Heartless. As soon as he got close, the Heartless said, _If you want to defeat me, #2, don't get hurt by my shots._ "Number II is Xigbar in Organization XIII, so expect long-ranged attacks." Yui warned Sora.

The Heartless disappeared and reappeared in a puff of smoke above Sora. It then swung its' arm and shot an arrow of magic energy at Sora, who blocked it with his Keyblade, reflecting it back at the Heartless. It did this twice more, and Sora reflected the attacks right back with his Keyblade. It then backed off and started shooting the magic arrows at random speeds, so Sora had to time his blocking right, or it wouldn't work.

The Heartless began floating around the plaza, shooting at Sora with magic arrows, trying to catch Sora off guard. It shot slow shots, fast shots, shots that split into three or five arrows and homed in on Sora. Sora dodge rolled, blocked and used his Reflega spell to block the attacks and redirect them back at the Heartless again. As the crew could clearly see, Sora was being tested on his defense and evasive skills by this Heartless.

After a while, the Heartless stopped shooting and settled back down onto the ground again, and shot fireworks into the air, signaling Sora's victory. _You have the skills to reflect and defend yourself against my magic. Well done._ The Heartless praised to Sora, _Always keep your guard up against my brethren, for they could trick you just as much so. Take care!_ The Heartless disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Well that was tricky." Sora stated, wiping the sweat off of his forehead. He did get nervous during some of the attacks. "You were great out there, Sora!" Kirito commended Sora's efforts. "That was nothing." Sora replied in a boastful manner, "After spending enough time around Goofy and you, Kirito, I got to learn how to defend myself well." Goofy and Kirito chuckled at Sora's comment. "Let's head to the next world, and find the next Heartless." Asuna told the group, who nodded in response.

* * *

While they didn't find any Mushroom XIII Heartless in the Pride Lands, they got news that there were two different sightings of Heartless in Twilight Town and one in front of Yen Sid's tower. When they landed in front of the clocktower of Twilight Town, the team decided to split up into three groups to take on each Heartless, then meet back there again. Sora and Yui went to board the magic train to Yen Sid's tower while Asuna with Donald and Kirito with Goofy went in different directions as well.

Asuna and Donald found their target first before the others. It was within the Tunnelway, in an open space next to a waterline. "Here we are." Asuna stated, seeing the Heartless before her. It looked more aggravated than the other Mushroom XIII they've encountered. "Go for it, Asuna!" squawked Donald as Asuna approached the Heartless.

As she got close to it, the Heartless spoke in a growl, _If you want to defeat me, #7, calm my rage._ "Calm your rage?" Asuna asked as the Heartless produced a timer into the air, which was marked '0:10'.

She had barely got ready when the Heartless enveloped itself in black aura, and charged at Asuna. She got knocked away, but the Heartless continued to charge. "Asuna!" Donald cried out. "This one feels like that berserk form of Saïx's in Organization XIII." Asuna muttered, "In that case, I'll just have to use magic!"

Asuna unleashed Firaga, enveloping herself in flames and burning the Heartless, then shocking it with Thundaga before she got struck again by the Heartless. She spun backwards, and positioned her feet against the wall as she shot a pair of Blizzaga spells at the Heartless. She jumped towards it, and had an idea. She used her Reflega to redirect the damage she could've taken from the Heartless right back at it, heavily damaging it and making it fall face first.

As Asuna panted, she looked up at the timer, which had stopped at '0:02'. Asuna saw the Heartless get up again, and send fireworks into the air. _Thank you for calming me down._ The Heartless thanked Asuna, _I was having a really bad day today, but your quick magic spells stopped me. Hopefully, the others are having a better day than me._ And with that, the Heartless vanished. "I've heard of bad tempers, but to use it in a challenge like this was pretty rough." Asuna sighed.

* * *

Sora reached his target next after departing from the train and finding the Heartless at the steps of Yen Sid's tower. For some reason, it was buried into the ground with a black vortex. "I wonder which of the Organization this one represents?" Sora asked. As he and Yui approached the Heartless, the Heartless spoke up, _If you want to defeat me, #8, keep me from landing._ "This one… Number VIII is Axel's number!" Yui stated. "So this one represents Axel." Sora muttered, recalling the Nobody in question.

Sora approached the Heartless, and grabbed its' mushroom-like head. He pulled it out of the ground, and it soared high into the air. Sora understood what he had to do. It wasn't any different compared to bouncing a ball into the air to keep it from landing. Sora jumped and started striking the Heartless upwards, keeping it high into the air. He fell back to the ground, and saw the Heartless fall quickly to the ground. Sora sent it flying upwards with his Keyblade again, and leapt after it.

Sora kept repeating this same technique over and over, making sure the Heartless didn't land onto the ground. He wasn't sure how this related to Axel, but he continued to do this. He entered his Master Form to make it easier for him to keep up with the task. It was getting harder and harder to do, since it kept falling faster and faster. He had lost track as to how many times he struck the Heartless before it finally landed, but Yui was counting, and she said Sora hit it 87 times.

The Heartless rose to its' feet again and shot fireworks into the air. _That was a lot of fun! Being in the ground made things really cramped._ The Heartless stated, _Memorize those skills of aerial combat and balance should you ever encounter something like that again. Take care, now!_ And with that, the Heartless vanished. "Memorize it, huh?" Sora echoed the words, recalling Axel's phrase to 'get it memorized', "Sure, I'll do that!"

* * *

Kirito and Goofy found their target in front of the old mansion, within the old garden front. "It won't be long till we have to go back home again." Kirito stated, looking up at the mansion, then looking at the Heartless in front of them, "But first things first…" "Good luck, Kirito." Goofy told him as Kirito approached the Heartless.

The Heartless looked like it was ready to move about, as it bounced a bit from side to side. _If you want to defeat me, #12, deal with as many taunts._ The Heartless produced a timer into the air, which was marked '1:00'. The Mushroom vanished and appeared aways from Kirito, taunting him. "So I have to defeat as many as I can." Kirito stated, "Then I'll use my strongest form. _Final!_" Kirito entered his Final Form, and flew at the making it vanish, only to have it reappear in a new area. His quick-pace didn't slow down as he went back to back with his strikes.

Every time he struck it and made it vanish, the Heartless appeared in a different part of the gardens. How it kept moving about made things a little more difficult for Kirito, but he used his speed and power of his new form to home in on it and take the Heartless out. He continued to do this as the timer kept going down and down.

When the minute was up, Kirito was out of the Final Form and tired from pursuing the Heartless. It reappeared in the middle of the garden, shooting fireworks into the air. _Your hand-eye coordination and you ability to keep up with me is really good._ The Heartless spoke to him, _You should get stronger with those skills, but you were good enough to beat me. If you want to find #1, go to the place where the memories reach the skies._ And with that, the Heartless disappeared.

"So not only did I beat it, it gave us the location of the next Heartless." Kirito stated. "But where do ya think that place the Heartless told us about is at?" Goofy asked. "Good question." Kirito responded, pondering on what the Heartless said, "The place where memories reach the skies… For some reason, that sounds familiar, but I can't exactly know where it's at." "Let's go back and tell the others about it." Goofy suggested. "Good idea. Maybe they would know something about it.

Once everyone was back together again, Kirito relayed the message the Heartless said to him onto the others. "Any idea where that might be?" Kirito asked them. "I can't figure it out." Asuna replied, with Donald shaking his head side to side. "Hey Yui, do you know?" Sora asked Yui on his shoulder. "Give me a second…" Yui replied, placing her hands on her head, thinking back to all the places they've visited.

Finally, Yui said, "I believe I know what place that Heartless was talking about." "Where is it?" Kirito asked. "I had to research all of the places we've been to so far, using the words 'memory' and 'sky' as the keys." Yui explained, "After that, it came down to one place; Memory's Skyscraper in the World That Never Was."

"Alright, Yui!" cheered Sora. Yui smiled at this praising. Then we'd better head to that place, right now." Kirito stated, "If what that Heartless said was true, we're facing the number 1 of the Mushroom XIII." "And since it's reflecting off of Organization XIII, that means it will imitate something from Xemnas, the Organization's leader." With their minds set for whatever was gonna come their way, they raced onward towards the route to the Organization's world.

* * *

After arriving into the dark city, the team started to wander through it. The Heartless seem to be more abundant than ever, so they had to take out a lot as they made their way to their destination. When they arrived, they found the Heartless in front of the Memory's Skyscraper.

"So that's the head honcho of the Heartless, huh?" Sora asked, rolling his sleeves up, "Right. Let's do it!" He was about to step forward when Asuna stopped him. "You boys took out more Heartless than I did." she reminded him, "Let me finish this one up." Asuna stepped forward, and the Heartless looked to her. _If you want to defeat me, #1, catch me off guard._ It said to her. Asuna readied herself for whatever came next.

The Heartless shot a timer into the air, which was marked '0:30'. It then used a Reversal technique, coming right behind Asuna. The moment she felt its' presence behind her, she knew what had to be done. The moment it tried to strike, she used her Quick Slide technique to get behind it and strike with several jabs. It used a Reversal again, and Asuna timed the attack right to avoid and strike again. After the third one, Asuna switched into her Wisdom Form to gain even more speed and power.

The Heartless and Asuna were dancing all around the area, Asuna keeping up with the Heartless' tricks. The key here was to make sure she struck at the right time, or else the Heartless would see her coming, and use another Reversal after the first one, which had happened a couple times, but Asuna used another Reversal after that to avoid the Heartless' attack, but it left her farther away than she would be if she was using a Quick Slide.

When the thirty seconds were up, Asuna and the Heartless stopped their dance. "Did she do good enough?" Goofy asked as the others waited hopefully for the Heartless to speak. _Your timing and evasiveness is quite incredible._ The Heartless commended Asuna's efforts, _You have done well facing all of my brethren. Now all that is left is #13, who is waiting beyond the point you started. We await for your arrival._ The Heartless shot fireworks into the air, and disappeared.

"Alright!" Sora cheered. "We did it!" Donald squawked. "Now we can fight the final Heartless." Kirito stated, "But I wonder who this one is?" "Based on the information I know, the Organization member that was marked XIII was… Roxas." Yui informed the group. Sora looked to Yui, wondering. _Roxas…my Nobody._ Sora thought to himself.

The group looked to Sora as he looked down, then he got serious. "Let's get moving." he told the group. "The Heartless said that #13 is beyond the place we started." Asuna recalled, "That must mean it's at Radiant Garden, since that's where we started this whole thing." "Then let's go beyond the spot we fought the first Heartless." Kirito decided. The team understood the objective, and went to the Gummi Ship.

* * *

They left the Organization's world, and journeyed back to Radiant Garden again. They dropped in there and begun their search for the final Heartless. They ran past the place where they fought the #9 Heartless, and journeyed into the ravine. They came out to the Great Maw, and saw, in the distance, all twelve Heartless they fought appear together, jumping up and down. "Be ready for anything." Kirito warned the group, who pulled their weapons out in response to the sight of the Heartless.

They approached the Heartless, and a light glowed from above, shining down upon the group. The team looked up to see another two Heartless, the same as the rest of the Mushroom XIII, descend from above, and land in front of the group.

_We are the final two members of Mushroom XIII._ One of the Heartless informed the group, _We have two more tasks for you to accomplish._ "Hold on, I thought you said there was only one more Heartless of your group to deal with!" Sora stated. I_ am a new recruit to the ranks._ The other Heartless informed the group, _I am #15, and I will test you. If you want to defeat me, #15, your memories must be strong._

"Number 15?" Asuna asked, "But that's…" "Gouxus' number." Kirito recalled, frowning at the number, "However, I believe that this Heartless is different to Sugou's Nobody. But what does it mean by 'our memories must be strong'?" "Let me handle this one." Yui stated, flying out of Kirito pocket and going in front of the group. "Yui? But why?" Sora asked. "Because Yui has a better memory than the rest of us." Asuna answered, "I bet this task is suppose to test that part of our skills.

Yui flew in front of the Heartless, who nodded in approval. _Answer all of my questions,_ _and I admit defeat._ The Heartless told her, _Question 1: What is the number of the largest Heartless in our group?_ "That would be Number 5." Yui answered. Heartless numbers 1, 2 &amp; 3 behind #15 shot fireworks into the air.

_Question 2: What is the goal of #9's defeat?_ The Heartless questioned Yui. She pondered a bit, then answered, "Keep it dancing." #4, 5 and 6 Heartless shot fireworks.

_Question 3: Which of the Heartless takes more time to defeat; #5, #7, or #10?_ The Heartless questioned. "That would be #10." Yui answered. #7, 8, and 9 Heartless shot fireworks.

_Question 4: Which Heartless would you find in the world in the past?_ The Heartless asked. Yui thought for a second before recalling, "That was #11!" #10, 11 and 12 more Heartless shot fireworks into the air.

_Question 5: True or false: #3 is someone you must fight against._ The Heartless quizzed her. "False." Yui answered, "That's the one who Sora gathered the orbs from." #15 shot fireworks into the air. Congratulations. _Your memory of us is exceptionally well._ The Heartless stated, _Now all that is left is #13. May you keep us in your memories._

#15 backed off as #13 approached the group. N_ow the only one left is me. If you want to defeat me, #13, you must…_ The team waited for the Heartless' task, but it said, _Actually, there is none. I have no task that you can't accomplish. I admit defeat._ The team was surprised at this.

"So, you won't fight us?" Sora asked. _We, the Mushroom XIII, were tasked to see how powerful you were, and if you were able to accomplish any goal._ The Heartless stated, raising its' hands, _Please, take these as proof you defeated all of us._ It produced a Keyblade keychain, along with an orb with the face of the Mushroom XIII Heartless on it. "That's the Winner's Proof Keyblade." Yui informed them, "It is tremendously powerful, but you can't gain experience with it." Sora was the one who took that.

The silver orb then split into three different balls of light, and approached the three Keyblade wielders. They raised their hands as the lights settled in their palms, revealing themselves to be two silver crowns for the boys and a silver tiara for Asuna. "What are these?" Kirito asked, looking at the crown. _They are proofs of accomplishment._ the #13 Heartless informed him,_ You have appeased us, so we offer you these as your achievements. Wear them well, and march forward to greater achievements._

The Heartless cheered for the group as they started to float into the sky, and all of them disappeared into a glittering of lights. For a while, no one spoke, then Sora said, "I don't know about you, but I had a lot of fun doing that." "I agree." Kirito seconded, "Each of the Heartless gave us the ability to hone our skills to see how far we have come."

"And we got some interesting prizes in the end." Asuna stated, placing the tiara on her head, "How do I look?" "You look beautiful, mama!" Yui praised her. "Yeah, but not as cool as me!" Sora replied, already placing his crown on his head and looking to Kirito, "C'mon, put yours on!" Kirito looked at his crown, then placed it on his head. "A pair of kings and a queen." Asuna joked, "What a group of royal Keyblade wielders we are." The team laughed at this, feeling glad that they have accomplished this task.


	9. Mysterious! Kirito & The Lingering Will!

**Sorry it took so long. I had college holding me up a lot, so I didn't have time to work on this as much. But now it is done. Here's the next Proof for the heroes to face against, and it is one that everyone has been hoping for. I hope you guys are satisfied with it!**

_(I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Sword Art Online. All I do is form my imagination from both stories, and share it with the world!)_

* * *

(_The following has no timeline with the SAK story. However, they do have all the powers and magic up to the end of SAK, so the closest timeline would be after the fall of Organization XIII and before Kirito, Asuna, Yui, Leafa and Recon left to their world.)_

Kirito was standing on the cracked grounds in the badlands, the dust blowing across the area. "Where am I?" he asked, looking about. He noticed an abundance of Keyblades stuck into the ground, but they looked old and lifeless, almost like tombstones. Kirito saw a Keyblade before him, the Ends of the Earth Keyblade, sticking point-first into the ground.

He looked to one side, and saw a young man in a bronze-colored, full body armor, with a helmet and visor covering his face, walking towards Kirito. He looked the other directions, and saw a woman in silver and blue full armor, just the same as the boy. Kirito looked to the Keyblade, reached out with a gauntlet hand, and pulled out the Keyblade.

He and the other two, who also produced their Keyblades, came together, and looked beyond, seeing two figures coming towards them. Kirito made the first move, racing towards the two figures, his Keyblades ready to strike at them. Then he saw Sora's face on one of the figures. "Sora? But why?!" Kirito asked, though he didn't seem to be talking himself. He made to strike Sora.

"Kirito, wake up!" Sora shouted. Kirito snapped his eyes open. He was resting back on his seat in the Gummi ship. He looked around, seeing everyone look at him. _It was a dream…_ Kirito thought to himself.

"Are you okay?" Donald asked him. "Don't tell me you were having another nightmare about our friends again?" Asuna hoped. "No. It wasn't like that." Kirito replied, rubbing his head, then looking at the hand that was a gauntlet before, "But it was definitely a strange dream." "Well, whatever it was, just be glad it's over." Sora stated.

Kirito looked outside and saw the ship was moving along. "So where's our heading?" "Disney Castle." Yui replied, who was on top of Goofy's hat, "Queen Minnie apparently discovered something that she wanted us to see." "I wonder what it is?" Goofy asked. "We'll find out soon enough!" Sora responded, "I hope it's something good, like a new power or something." Kirito settled back in his chair again, wondering. What was that dream he saw?

_(Cue 'Let's Wondering' opening)_

The team arrived in the docking bay of Disney Castle. They descended up to the royal library, where they saw Queen Minnie and Daisy waiting for the group. They lined up in front of them, their postures in authorities. "We've arrived, your Majesties." Goofy announced. Daisy raced to Donald and hugged him, making him fall over. "I'm so glad you've come back!" Daisy told him. Donald was trying to get Daisy off of her, while Sora, Goofy and Asuna laughed at him.

Kirito looked to Queen Minnie and asked, "Excuse me, what was the reason for you calling for us? You said you discovered something." "Of course." Minnie replied, "It was sometime after you left dealing with the Mushroom XIII Heartless. Something appeared in the Hall of the Cornerstone." The others stopped to hear what Queen Minnie had to say.

"So what is it?" Kirito asked. "It would be better if we showed it to you." Minnie responded, walking to the doors, "Come this way, please." She and Daisy walked to the doors, followed closely by the heroes. They went along the hallway, and entered into the throne room. The pathway into the Hall of the Cornerstone was open, so they descended down into the room.

When they arrived, the team noticed the shining Cornerstone of Light, along with the door to the past. There was one more thing in that room, however, that wasn't there before. Behind the Cornerstone, there was a large, swirling portal of black and white energy, sparkling in a similar fashion as the Cornerstone.

"Where did this come from?" Asuna asked as the team walked towards it. "It was Chip and Dale who first discovered this portal." Daisy explained, "When they came down here to check on the Cornerstone, they noticed it appear out of the blue." "We asked Merlin about it, and he believes it's a gateway to a long-lost world." Minnie followed, "We don't know where it might lead us, so we have been afraid of entering into it."

The three Keyblade Wielders drew closer to the portal, looking at it. "Can you feel that energy?" Kirito asked. "I can." Sora replied, "And for some reason, I'm getting a bad feeling about it." "It's like wherever this leads is gonna bring us to a powerful opponent." Asuna stated, "But for some reason, it doesn't feel like a Heartless or a Nobody made this. I have no idea what we might encounter."

Kirito was perplexed by this portal. It was weird, but he felt something inside of him draw closer to this portal. It's as if whatever was on the other side was connected to him. Was it something he had encountered before? No, he couldn't remember getting a feeling like this before, and he certainly had never been to this dimension before all of this either. Even so, he was still connected.

"We were hoping you would check out what was inside that portal for us." Daisy told the heroes, "If what we believe is true, there might be something we can uncover on the other side of that portal." "No offense, but it makes me feel like you are using us like guinea pigs." Asuna told the queens. "Still, the queen's orders are absolute." Goofy retorted, "We should at least try."

"I'd say we check it out." Sora decided, "What do you guys think?" "Yeah!" Donald agreed. "I think so, too." Kirito replied, thought it was out of the curiosity of why he felt connected to the portal.

The team turned to the two queens. "Your Highnesses, we will go investigate the portal for ya." Goofy informed them. "Oh, thank you." Minnie replied, "I know you will be okay in there." "Just be sure to come back, Donald." Daisy told Donald. "I will!" Donald replied. "We'll keep him safe." Asuna winked at Daisy. The five heroes turned to the portal, and walked right into it.

When the team came out of the portal, they arrived onto a rocky platform, surrounded by canyons within vast badlands. The skies were gray and cloudy, without a single sign of sunlight entering through. A dust devil was blinding the area in front of them.

"What is this place?" Sora asked, looking about. "Feels kinda lonely around here." Goofy replied. "It kinda reminds me of the desolate Pride Lands." Asuna compared. Kirito looked into his pocket. "Hey, Yui. Do you know where we are?" he asked as Yui popped her head out. "I don't know." Yui replied, "This landscape is new to me. I have no idea where we are."

As the team looked around, The team noticed the dust starting to settle down, revealing something within it. It was a suit of heavy, full-body armor, crouched down in a kneeling position. It was dark, with copper and gold armor pieces protecting it, and a long, golden cape. The head was covered with a black visor and copper prongs going upwards. It was gripping the top of a blade in his hands, which was stuck point-first into the ground. It had a earthy look to it, with a pale aqua-green rounded guard and a dark brown blade with jagged teeth.

"Is that armor?" Donald asked. "Looks like a knight, but why is it crouching like that?" Asuna asked. "And that weapon…is that a Keyblade?" Kirito asked as Yui examined it. "Yes. That's the 'Ends of the Earth' Keyblade." Yui explained. "But where is its' keychain?" Sora asked, noticing it wasn't there.

For a while, everyone watched the armor, wondering if it was gonna do anything. Kirito looked at it, feeling a sudden connection to the armor. He had never seen that armor nor that Keyblade before in his life, but for some reason, he felt like he was connected to it, almost like he was inside that armor before. His heart was calling out to the armor, wondering if it would respond.

_Aqua… Ven…_ A voice suddenly called out. It seemed like it came from the lifeless armor, though it had not moved even at the sight of the crew. "Did the armor just say something?" Donald asked. "Be on your guard, everyone!" Asuna told the crew as they drew their weapons. _Keyblades?_ the armor noticed, _Who are you?_ "That's what we want to know." Kirito responded, frowning at the armor.

_I know one of you. We've met before, way back when_ The armor spoke, _Two of you, I do not, but I feel like people I know._ "Which one of us is he talking about?" Asuna asked, "Who's the one he has met?"

_No, that wasn't you._ The armor continued, _You are not the one I chose._ "Chose?" Sora asked, confused. _Where is he?_ The armor asked, _You…you feel like me. Xe…ha…nort? Is that you?_ "Xehanort?" Asuna echoed. "This armor know him?" Sora asked. "_You feel like me? Which one of us was he referring to?"_ Kirito thought to himself, then he wondered, _"Could he be talking about me? I feel as if I am connected to it, too._"

_Xeha…nort…_ The armor spoke, his body shaking a little, then without warning, it stood up as it's echoing voice shouted, _Xehanort!_ It rose to its' feet, and the crew prepared themselves. It grasped the handle of the Keyblade with its' right hand, and pulled it out of the ground. It held it to one side, similar to how Kirito held his blade. The team felt a powerful aura coming from the person before them. This armored knight was gonna be a powerful opponent.

The knight jumped into the air and dashed at the group with his Keyblade at hand. Kirito jumped up and fought head on with the knight while the others ducked out of the way. There was a clang coming from the clash of weapons as the knight passed by Kirito. "He's fast!" Kirito gasped, then felt the knight come right back at Kirito, striking him in the back and sending him flying to the ground aways from the group. "Kirito!" Asuna cried.

Sora saw the knight come back again, this time aiming for him. Sora placed his guard up to endure the attack. The knight struck and sent Sora skidding backwards as he held his ground, bringing himself and the knight to a stop. Donald and Goofy came from behind and struck the knight with their weapons, but it hardly did anything. The knight jumped up and transformed his Keyblade into a whip-like form, sending flying all around him, striking Sora, Donald and Goofy repeatedly.

Asuna jumped high and thrusted hard into the knight, then unleashing her Blizzaga from the tip of her blade, damaging it even more. They landed, and the knight dashed to Asuna, unleashing two strikes from his Keyblade, to which she blocked both of them, then transformed his Keyblade into a drill form, and unleashing a thrust of energy with the drill, sending Asuna flying backwards.

"Bastard!" Kirito shouted, coming from behind and striking the knight hard with his Keyblade. He followed it up with a series of combo strikes at the knight, who took them. It retaliated with its' own series of attacks, to which Kirito countered all of them with his own attacks. The knight used his drilling thrust, but Kirito side-stepped the attack, and Asuna appeared out of nowhere, unleashing rapid thrusts onto the knight.

The knight transformed his Keyblade into a whip again, attempting to strike Asuna, but Sora jumped in and countered the attack, sending the whip the opposite way. The knight quickly adapted, and followed the rotation of his whip, circling around to hit the two from the opposite direction. It returned his weapon back to normal just in time to counter Kirito's 'Sonic Leap' Sword Skill.

A thunderbolt from Donald shot down upon the knight, followed by Goofy's shield discus. They did very little, and the knight shoved Kirito away, and soared at the two who attacked him, slashing them with his Keyblade. He kept up his flight by slashing past the two again, then going towards the three Keyblade wielders, who got at least struck once by one of the knight's flying attacks.

"This guy's fierce!" Sora snapped as Asuna performed Curaga while the others rose to their feet. "He's relentless and powerful, that's for sure." Kirito stated, "Yui, any suggestions?" "This knight is a powerful foe, however after several series of attacks, it stops for a few seconds." Yui examined, "If you guys can just endure the attacks it delivers, you should be able to find an opening in the knight's attacks!" "Then let's not waste a minute." Asuna stated, seeing Donald and Goofy getting pummeled by the knight, "We'd better defeat it!"

The team returned to the fight, and started to struggle with the knight, who had been fighting using the same three moves; darting through the air while slashing, unleashing a ground combo with a drilling finish, and transforming his Keyblade into a whip and lashing it all around him. The team had to endure all of the attacks it pulled, though it was tough since its' attacks were more powerful than any other opponent they faced. Even Goofy's shield didn't help defend against his attacks.

The knight unleashed his whip, and Kirito countered by jumping and striking down at the end of the whip with all his might. The clash caused a great shockwave to burst from impact, and send Yui flying out of Kirito's pocket. She flipped through the air, then stopped herself with her wings. "Papa!" Yui cried, watching as Kirito struggled to endure the attack.

Kirito flipped over the whip and charged straight at the knight, slashing at it with his 'Horizontal Square' Sword Skill. The four slashes took affect, and it made the knight stumble a bit as he reverted his whip to a Keyblade again. Kirito turned around and slashed repeatedly at the knight, not giving it a chance to recover. Finally, the knight got tossed back by a heavy slash, falling onto its' back.

"Way to go, Kirito!" Sora cheered. "That's showin' him!" Donald added. "Don't let your guard down yet." Asuna stated, seeing Kirito standing there in his fighting stance, "This battle is far from over." She was right, for the knight got to his feet again, ready to continue. He looked towards Kirito, who hadn't moved from his spot.

The knight charged forward and clashed with Kirito's blade, the two creating another shockwave. Kirito was skidding backwards as he held his guard up, digging his feet into the ground until they came to a halt. "Kirito!" Sora shouted, racing along side the others as they went to aid Kirito.

_You… you're soul is similar…_ the knight told Kirito, who looked a bit surprised, _But this feeling…is different…I do not feel as if we met before…_ "What the hell do you mean?!" Kirito demanded, "Of course we haven't met. I'm from a different dimension from you, so how should I…"

Before he could finished, something flashed through his mind. It was the moment where he defended Asuna from an attack from the Gleam Eye using his Elucidator to deflect the demon's blade. "Get out!" Kirito shouted to Asuna, who got up and jumped back as Kirito prepared to face the Gleam Eyes himself.

After that, he had another memory, but one that wasn't his own. He jumped in to protect Ventus from an attack coming from Eraqus, then shouting, "Master, have you gone mad?!" "….!" Eraqus shouted, though the name he called him was muffled in Kirito's ears, "I command you; step aside!" "No!" Kirito snapped as he saw a burst of light.

Kirito gasped as he came to his senses, then saw the knight getting knocked back by a double attack from Sora and Goofy. "Kirito!" Asuna shouted as she, Donald and Yui came to him. "What was that?" Kirito asked, shaking his head at what he just saw. "I don't know, but both you and that knight didn't seem to move for a moment there." Asuna explained, looking at the knight, who was fighting against Sora and Goofy now, "It was like you were in a daze or something."

"What happened to you out there?" Donald asked him. "I…don't have a clue." Kirito replied, "But maybe…I think I saw something. A memory that was mine, and someone else's." "Someone else's?" Asuna asked, "What are you talking about?" Kirito pondered for a second, but shook his head. "I'm not sure, but now's not the time to think about it." Kirito replied, "We need to fight this guy with everything we got! He is far from defeated." Asuna and Donald nodded in response, and the three fighters charged in, leaving Yui watching them.

During that time, Sora and Goofy were giving it all they got against the knight, who jumped and dashed through the air, slicing at them. Sora and Goofy jumped out of the way the first time, but the second one struck Sora hard. The knight came at Sora again as he recovered midair, and used Reflega to block and repel his next attack, then entered his Master Form for more power.

Sora and the knight landed onto the ground simultaneously, then dashed at one another, clashing blades with one another as they went with back to back slashes. Goofy drank down a potion to heal himself as Donald, Kirito and Asuna came to Sora, but could not see a way to get into their fight since they were fighting so fast and hard, that they were afraid that aiding Sora would hinder him.

The knight thrusted with his transformed drilling Keyblade, but Sora used his Master Slash, creating an X-slash with his two Keyblades, countering the knight's attack. The two created a blast of energy that sent the others toppling back aways from the two. Sora endured the attack as he squinted with one eye at the knight, who's visor made it difficult to tell how he was reacting.

_I know you, way back when._ the knight told Sora, _But I did not choose you. Who chose you?_ "Chose me for what?!" Sora demanded, "You aren't making any sense here!"

Sora suddenly had a flashback, similar to Kirito's. Sora, Kairi and Riku were at their favorite spot on the Destiny Islands; On the sideways Paopu fruit tree, watching the sunset. "And suppose there are other worlds…" Riku told the two, "Then ours is just a little piece of something much greater."

Then Sora had another flashback. From another point of view, Sora saw Terra walk up to him and Aqua. "Yep, hard to believe there are so many worlds out there besides our own." he told the two, "The light is their hearts, and it's shining down on us like a million lanterns."

Sora came back into focus, backing away from the knight before him. _What the…was that my memories?_ Sora thought to himself, seeing the knight stand there, looking at Sora, _I know that first one, but I don't remember that second memory. Yet for some reason, it was familiar._

Sora looked down, wondering, then saw the knight charge at Sora, and crossed his Keyblades in front of him to block the attack. Asuna jumped over Sora and thrusted her Keyblade at the knight, knocking him back. "You guys are losing it, here!" Asuna told Sora, "Get in the battle, Sora!" Sora shook his head, refocusing himself as Donald, Goofy and Kirito darted past him, and charged along with them.

Asuna was now leading the attack against the knight, who unleashed his whip again, knocking back Kirito and Goofy. "Donald, let's go!" Asuna shouted. "You got it!" Donald responded, and they performed their 'Duck Flare' Limit attack. Donald hopped onto Asuna's back, summoning forth series of rockets that shot at the knight, who started dashing through the air in attempt to avoid the attack, but the rockets kept homing at him. Asuna and Donald finished with the last barrage of rockets, which exploded and encasing the knight in a cloud of smoke.

Donald hopped off of Asuna's shoulders as the two watched to see when the knight would come out, with the other three right behind. Yui was above the scene, surveying the battle. Then out of nowhere, the knight darted out of the smoke, slashing at Asuna and Donald and sending them flying.

While Donald's light weight carried him farther, Asuna recovered midair and performed a secondary jump to avoid the next dashing slash. She landed down on the ground again, then heard a cry from Sora as she turned just in time to see the knight dash at her from above. She darted to the side with her Quick Run, avoiding the explosive attack that the man delivered.

Asuna stopped and turned to see the knight summon multiple sentinels of glowing white energy that surrounded Asuna and the boys. Asuna saw them charging up, and dashed again to avoid the energy shots from the sentinels. Goofy pulled Donald out of the way as he, Kirito and Sora dodged the attacks themselves. The sentinels kept disappearing and reappearing near one of the five, attempting to hit them, but the team was evasive enough to avoid all of the attacks. Kirito even destroyed a couple before they could fire.

Asuna dodged two more shots when she saw the knight appear before her again, bringing all the sentinels back and transforming his Keyblade into a cannon. "Look out, mama!" Yui cried as the knight charged up his Ultima Cannon, firing a large sphere of energy at Asuna, who was shocked to see the size of the attack. It made contact, and there was a large explosion. "Asuna!" shouted Kirito and Sora together. Asuna jumped backwards out of the smoke that came from the explosion, skidding to a halt. "Good thing I had my guard up." Asuna sighed in relief.

Asuna looked up to see the knight dash through the smoke of the explosion towards her, and Asuna unleashed her 'Shooting Star' Rapier Skill, countering his attack. Asuna struggled to keep pushing against the knight with the momentum she was using from her attack.

"Why do you want to fight us?!" Asuna demanded the knight, "You claim one of us is Xehanort, but we're not him!" The knight did not answer her question, but instead said, _Your heart…it reminds me of her. Are you connected to her?_ "Huh?" Asuna replied, confused at these words.

Just then, Asuna's mind flashed back. She was standing above Kirito, who was on his back underneath a tree, his eyes closed. Asuna was not pleased with Kirito's lazy demeanor when he should be fighting to free everyone from SAO. "I can't believe you!" she huffed, "Do you even understand what's going on? Every day here is another one lost in the real world!" "Yeah, but right now, we're not in the real world, are we?" Kirito replied, "We're alive, in Aincrad." Asuna was surprised, not realizing this belief before.

Then Asuna had another memory, one of which wasn't her's. She was with Terra and Ventus, surrounded by pipelines and stone walls. At this point, the person Asuna was seeing from had admitted she had been ordered to keep an eye on Terra. "I'm on my own now, alright?" Terra told the two with his back to them. "Terra, please, listen!" Asuna called out, "The Master has no reason to distrust you, really! He was just worried." Terra continued to walk away from her and Ventus.

Asuna came back from reality. "What…" Asuna started, but she lost her focus, and was sent flying back from the knight's attack. She fell to the ground, in pain. "Asuna!" Kirito called out, rushing to her side. "We'll get him!" Sora declared, indicating himself, Donald and Goofy. They charged on ahead as Kirito helped Asuna up again.

"Are you okay, Asuna?" Kirito asked, "What happened?" "I…don't have a clue." Asuna replied, "But I think I had the same kind of moment you had. A memory from the past, and another memory that wasn't mine." "You, too?" Kirito asked, surprised.

Asuna looked at Sora, who was working together with Donald and Goofy as they fought against the knight, who unleashed its' sentinels again, aiming at the trio. "Maybe that one moment Sora was out of focus, he saw something, too." Asuna assumed. Kirito looked to the knight, wondering.

"I wonder what those memories are about; the ones that weren't ours?" Kirito asked. "I don't know, but I do know he's responsible for them." Asuna replied, indicating the knight, who unleashed his Ultima Cannon at Sora, who used his Keyblade to smack the sphere of energy back at the knight, who jumped out of the way. "We should keep fighting until we find the answers." Kirito told Asuna, ready to fight again, "Let's get back in the battle again!" "Right!" Asuna replied, and the two charged in.

The knight now spun his Keyblade into the air, then transformed it into a flying vehicle of some kind, jumping onto it like a motorcycle. He spun it in a circle before directing it at Sora, Donald and Goofy. He shot towards them like a bullet, sending the trio flying through the air. The knight spun his vehicle to Kirito and Asuna, and shot towards them, who also got hit. The vehicle reverted back to normal, and he landed neatly onto the ground, though the same couldn't have been said for the heroes, as they moaned as they got to their feet again.

Sora and Kirito each used their Curaga spell to heal everyone's wounds, then got ready to continue fighting. The knight was now pulling out all the moves it had just used at the group, attempting to strike them down. It even combined a pair of his sentinels with his attacks from his vehicle, making it tough for the team to dodge all the attacks. Not to mention the guy was very skilled with riding his vehicle, precisely aiming at the group.

"This has gone long enough!" Kirito shouted, "_Final!_" Kirito entered his Final Drive Form, producing his wings and shooting at the knight, who got onto his vehicle again and the sentinels. He dashed at Kirito while the sentinels appeared in front of his path. Kirito blasted right through the sentinels and clashed with the knight, passing each other with minor damage to one another. They turned and clashed once again, with the same results.

They flew high into the air, clashing again and again with one another, with the others watching them dart through the air. The knight produced more sentinels to interfere with Kirito, but he quickly disposed of them. "It's like a dogfight up there!" Asuna stated. "But Goofy's the only dog here." Sora pointed out. "Not that kind of dogfight, you numbskull." Asuna retorted, "I mean the aerial kind." "Uh, I knew that." Sora replied in an unconvincing manner.

Kirito was losing his altitude, and was weakened from the continuous fighting. The knight flew at him again, but a wincing of pain caused Kirito to shift his angle, narrowly dodging the knight's attack. _If this keeps up, I'll be unable to continue fighting._ Kirito thought to himself, _I need to heal myself._

Kirito dove down to the ground, and the knight pursued after him. Kirito looked behind to see his pursuer, then had a crazy thought. He pulled back with his wings, flipped himself over the oncoming vehicle, then grabbed the tail fin of it. He got pulled along with the ride as the vehicle dove to the ground, near a large boulder.

Kirito mustered all of his strength to hold onto the vehicle. The knight looked behind to see Kirito use his Final Form's telepathic powers to swing the Keyblades continuously at the guy, damaging him and distracting him from the oncoming boulder. Kirito let go at the last second as the knight drove his vehicle straight into the boulder, obliterating it and causing himself to be cascaded underneath the large rubble.

Kirito fell to the ground face-first. He was in too much pain from the battle. "Here." Asuna told Kirito, handing him an elixir. "Thanks." Kirito replied, taking the elixir and drinking it down. With his strength back to normal, he rose to his feet again, with Sora, Asuna, Donald, Goofy and Yui surrounding him.

They all looked to the pile of rubble, Kirito's Final form used up as he reverted back to normal. "Is it over?" Donald asked. For a few seconds, they thought it was. Then the pile of rock blasted outwards as the knight reappeared, his Keyblade raised as he sent the debris flying.

The team shielded themselves from the cascade, then saw the knight. "Looks like he's still raring for more." Sora responded. "How much can this guy take?" Asuna asked incredulously, "He's as resilient as the Commander in SAO. Just who is he?!" Kirito glared at the knight, who looked back at Kirito.

Suddenly, Kirito had a flashback once again. It was after he was defeated by Kayaba/Heathcliff after discovering his identity. Kirito was about to turn into code when his determination and will allowed him to keep himself alive for a few more seconds. "Not yet…" Kirito muttered, gripping Asuna's Lambent Light rapier, "Not yet…" Kayaba was shocked at this, watching Kirito raise the rapier, then with a raging roar of strength, he thrusted the rapier straight through Kayaba, defeating him.

Then Kirito had another flashback. He was kneeling on the ground, the tip of the Ends of the Earth Keyblade stuck to the ground, in the same position as the knight was before fighting him, only now, a white-haired Terra, now Xehanort, was looking at him incredulously. "Your body submits, you're heart succumbs…" he told Kirito, "…so why does your mind resist?!" Kirito didn't reply, but rose to his feet, pulled out the Keyblade out of the ground, and dashed at Terra-Xehanort, slashing at him.

Kirito came back to his senses, realizing what he just saw, and who he was. "I get it now…" Kirito understood, looking at the knight before him. "You get what?" Asuna asked. "This knight…there's no one inside that armor." Kirito replied, "The one who is really controlling that armor…is the will of the former owner."

"The will?" Goofy asked. "Yes." Kirito answered, "He is nothing but a shell and a mind, without a body nor a heart." Kirito replied, seeing the knight standing there, at the ready, "He is only here to fulfill a duty. What it is, I don't know. All I know is that this 'lingering will' won't falter until his duty is fulfilled. The reason it is fighting us is because it is testing us, seeing if one of us is the person he is after."

"So if this is a test, then all we have to do is defeat him, right?" Sora asked. "Right." Kirito replied, "But his will is strong. We can't falter until we finally proven ourselves against him. Let's give it everything we got, team! Show him our connection is stronger than his will!" "Right!" responded the team, ready to combat the knight, now calling him the Lingering Will.

Asuna dashed in and unleashed a flurry of thrusts at the knight, who got pushed back by the attack. It then turned around and dashed at Asuna with a flying slash, but Kirito jumped in to protect her while Sora entered Limit Form. Donald used his Blizzard while Goofy used his Tornado technique on both sides of the knight, pushing the Lingering Will away from Kirito and Asuna.

The Lingering Will transformed his Keyblade into a vehicle again and summoned sentinels along with him. He drove at the fighters, and Kirito and Asuna went to both sides as he passed between them. Sora dodge rolled out of the way as he stopped near him, then performed his Sonic Dash as he and the Lingering Will charged at one another. While they clashed once, Sora was unscathed as he kept in pursuit, coming at the Lingering Will several times before he was finished.

The Lingering Will jumped off his vehicle, dove into the ground, then rose out with several orange glowing rocks with patterns on them. They struck Sora, then enveloped him in an orange glow as his Keyblade vanished. "What's going on?!" Kirito demanded, seeing Sora land on the ground. "The Lingering Will has used a spell on Sora!" Yui explained, "Whatever it did, it prevented him from using standard attacks from his Keyblade!" Then they saw the Lingering Will form two small orbs next to him with the same orange glow. "If you destroy those orbs, it should release Sora from the curse." Yui told the team. "Okay, then. Let's give Sora a hand!" Kirito declared, "Asuna, Goofy, Donald! Take care of that orb. I'll protect Sora!"

Sora placed his guard up as the Lingering Will unleashed his whip attack, which ended up wrapping around Sora, throwing Sora upwards, then sending him crashing into the ground. Sora got up, moaning in pain. "I gotta get close so I can use another one of my Limit attacks on him." he muttered.

The Will transformed his Keyblade into its' cannon form, charging up a ball of light at Sora. Kirito came in between the attack and Sora, and used his Keyblade to send the attack right back. The knight then transformed his Keyblade into a bow-like form, shooting arrows that sent the ball back at the two. "Not again!" Sora cried. Kirito unleashed his Reflega, saving himself and Sora from the blast.

"Asuna! Let's use our strongest attack together!" Donald declared. "Time for Trinity!" Goofy added. "Let's do it!" Asuna replied, the three glowing in unison as they performed their Trinity Limit.

Donald started things off with 'Ultima', sending a storm of magic at the cursed orbs and the Lingering Will. Then Goofy followed it up with a 'Major Drive', sending a plethora of Drive Orbs, hitting both targets with great strength. Asuna then finished with 'Star Break', shooting at the targets in a similar fashion as Sora's Sonic Blade, only at a faster rate. The trio finished by gathering together underneath the flying targets, raised their weapons, and unleashed a ball of light surrounded by streams of blue, green and light-blue energy. The Lingering Will was caught within the attack, and the orbs shattered, freeing Sora from the curse.

The Lingering Will fell to the ground, but rose to his feet in two seconds as Donald, Goofy and Asuna backed off. "Stay down, will ya?!" Donald squawked. "It may not look it, but I have a feeling it's on its' last legs." Asuna stated. The Lingering Will looked to the trio, who were now joined by Sora and Kirito. It then formed a magic circle underneath itself as his arms, head and Keyblade started to glow a red aura. "Get ready, you guys." Kirito told the group, feeling the knight was about to unleash his most devastating attack.

The knight whipped his Keyblade to one side as he dashed at the group, then swung madly with his Keyblade, striking everyone before ending with a horizontal sword beam that struck Kirito back.

The knight then transformed his Keyblade into two different weapons, teleported right behind Asuna, then unleashed a spinning surge of energy that circled horizontally and vertically around the knight. Asuna was struck repeatedly with the attack, followed by a rising circle that sent her skyward and in pain.

It then converged his Keyblade into a claymore-like form, raised it high into the air, which seem to draw in lightning that enhanced its' powers, then teleported at Sora, unleashing a series of attacks all around Sora, who was able to block the first few attacks before being succumbed by the other attacks. It unleashing a final tornado slash that sent Sora flying back towards the others, who were struggling to get back up again.

"_Heal!_" Asuna shouted, raising her Keyblade and healing the group. Donald and Goofy helped Sora to her feet as Kirito stepped in front of the group, his eyes shadowed from view. The Lingering Will looked at him as he stood there. "Okay, you had your fun." Kirito told the knight, "Now, it's our turn now."

Asuna and Sora got to either side of Kirito. "_Limit!_" Kirito and Asuna shouted in unison, entering their Limit Forms. "Donald! Goofy! Yui! Step back! We'll finish this one up!" Sora told the trio, who nodded and ran away. The Will summoned several sentinels and dove into the ground. The trio dispersed as the laser fire nearly shot at them. They each took out the many sentinels before they could do any more damage.

Asuna's instincts took into affect, and she moved out of the way as the knight rose out of the ground, attempting to put a curse on her. "Like we would fall for that again!" Asuna barked, her Keyblade glowing purple. She then unleashed her 11-strike 'Mother's Rosario' Rapier Skill at the knight, sending it flying with her final thrust.

"Sora!" Asuna cried as Sora stood there, ready to go. "Take this!" Sora shouted, unleashing his Ars Arcanum technique, sending his powerful Keyblade combo before sending it flying with his final attack.

"Kirito!" Sora shouted to Kirito, who was ready to go as the knight was flung at him. Kirito had his Keyblades at the ready, then unleashed his 'Eclipse' Dual Blade Skill, striking it hard and strong without giving the knight a rest. With one final strike, Kirito unleashed an explosion that enveloped the knight.

Kirito, Asuna and Sora gathered together, reverting back to normal, breathing heavily from their last attacks. For a while, they saw nothing but smoke and rubble flying from Kirito's attack. Then it cleared up, revealing the knight standing there, almost like nothing had happened to it. "You gotta be kidding me!" Sora cried out. "And we gave it all we had in that attack." Asuna added, stumbling to one knee. "And what's more, I don't think I can continue fighting here." Kirito panted, looking at the knight. Kirito held his Keyblade in both hands, hoping to have enough strength to continue.

For a while, no one moved. Then the Lingering Will spoke. _That's it. Your power. Your memories._ he said, _That's what I felt within you._ The trio looked questionably at the knight, then it placed the tip of its' Keyblade into the ground, knelt down in front of it, his gauntlets holding the top of the guard.

_These prove your strength. Take them._ The Lingering Will said to them, and out from his body came three orbs that came at the trio. The trio's pockets glowed as the crowns and tiara appeared out of them, floating in front of each owner. The orbs dove into each headpiece, making them glow and turn gold. They floated back into each owner's hand.

"So our crowns became gold now." Asuna stated, seeing her new crown. "Wish we got a little something more out of this." Sora stated, holding up his crown above him. "We did." Kirito replied, making the two turn to him, "We learned that our journeys are not over, and that we have the strength to fight other battles like this one."

He then looked to the knight, who had not moved. "And I get the feeling that we also gained a stronger connection, too." he added, "And that we need to figure out what these connections are." "What are you talking about?" Asuna asked him. "I'm not sure." Kirito replied, "But…it's what my heart is saying. During that fight, I feel as if I am connected to that knight, though I can't say why. We'll just have to figure that part by ourselves."

The trio looked at the knight as Donald, Goofy and Yui joined them. "Look, a portal is open for us." Goofy pointed out, seeing a portal behind them. "Guess that means there's nothing else to do here." Sora replied, "Let's report this to the others." Sora, Donald, Goofy, Asuna, Yui and Kirito all walked back through the portal. Kirito stopped and turned to the knight, who had not moved from his spot. He wondered if he would meet the person who was really within that armor someday. Kirito looked down, pondering, then turned back and walked through the portal, which closed behind them, leaving the knight still there, motionless, his cape flying in the dusty winds of the badlands.

_I await for your return…Aqua…Ventus…and my soul._ The knight told the trio that had already left.

* * *

**Author: I have to say, this battle was just as much fun of writing as Kirito vs. Sephiroth &amp; Sora vs. Erza, though a lot more difficult. Plus, it shows Kirito's connection with the Lingering Will even more so than before. I'm so glad to have done this.**

**Kirito: That battle was certainly intense! But what about a new world for us to visit in SAK: Falling Fantasy?**

**Author: That's right! Well, it was one that I had planned to do in SAKII: Dimensional Bonds, but I decided to hold it off until now. The next world is...**

**Digimon Tamers**

**Asuna: It's probably better for this, since we will have Dream Eaters with us as well.**

**Author: Plus, I feel like the storyline would flow better this way than it would in SAKII. I've still got a few more episodes to do in the Final Mix ****before I actually get to the Falling Fantasy. So leave a review, tell your friends, and wait patiently for the next episode!**


	10. Yui's New Stage! Friends of the Heart!

**So we've done stories in the first 'Sword Art Kingdom'. The next two Final Mix episodes circle around the young little AI girl we all know and love; Yui. This next one was a last minute addition, due to a picture I added on my DeviantART page some time ago. And so, we go further into the future, so far that I haven't even planned many of the stories in between it. So some of the results during the timeskip is merely guess work. In any case, I hope you enjoy this!  
**

* * *

_(I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Sword Art Online. All I do is form my imagination from both stories, and share it with the world!)_

**Chapter 1: The Invitation**

_(The following took place several months after 'Asuna's New Stage! Friends Across Worlds'. Note that I use world time differences in my stories, so there is a difference between time in the SAO world and the Pretty Cure world. Also, since I don't exactly know what the plot for Kingdom Hearts III is, this might not be historically accurate, so if you are reading this when Kingdom Hearts III is out, sorry if there are any inaccuracies.)_

_(Asuna speaking)_ After the defeat of Xehanort, life has finally gone back to normal for Kirito, Yui, Leafa and the others in our dimension. Well, as normal as it can get. Since we are the Keyblade's chosen ones, and we all officially became Keyblade Masters, we still have our duties for protecting Kingdom Hearts, and preventing the darkness from overspreading.

Aqua lives with me and my family, now, though she would occasionally go back to the other dimension to see Terra, Ven, Sora and the others. Kirito and I still haven't found a place to officially live at, yet, but he promised that when we get married, we would have a place to call home for him, me and Yui. Leafa and Recon are still in the Realm of Arrival, helping out with training the next generation. All in all, I guess I should say that our lives really aren't exactly 'normal'. And of course, Yui and I still visit one more world, too, and we even convinced Aqua to come with us to meet them. Our friends, the Pretty Cure.

_(Cue 'Let's Wondering' Opening)_

Asuna, Yui and Aqua stepped out of the portal, walking towards the old cathedral where they promised to meet Hibiki and the other Suite Pretty Cure. "I wonder how the others are doing, today?" Asuna asked, "I haven't seen them for a while."

"So Mistress Gretinal allows you to go to this world?" Aqua asked her. "Mm-hm!" Asuna nodded, "Since I do have the powers of the Pretty Cure, I'm allowed to visit. Course, I had to bring you along so you could meet them." "They're all so much fun!" Yui added, "And wait till you try Kanade's cupcakes from her family's bakery. We should go there after we join up with them." "Sounds like a great idea." Asuna replied.

"Hey! Asuna! Yui!" cried a voice from behind. The trio of girls looked behind and saw Ellen and Hummy rushing towards them, Ellen waving her hand. "Ellen!" Asuna cried, racing towards her. They rushed to one another and grabbed each other's hands. "I'm so glad to see you again, Asuna." Ellen greeted her. "It's been a while, nya!" greeted Hummy. "Same here." Asuna replied, "You two looking just as great as ever."

Ellen looked to see Yui and Aqua walking towards the two. "Yui, nya!" Hummy meowed, jumping into Yui's arms. "Hi there, Hummy." Yui greeted her, "How are you doing?" "Just fine, nya." Hummy replied, looking to Aqua, "But who are you, nya?"

"That's my sister, Aqua. She's a Keyblade wielder like me." Asuna introduced her, "Aqua, meet Ellen and Hummy. Ellen was the one who helped me gain my Pretty Cure powers." "It's nice to meet all of you." Aqua greeted them. "Likewise." Ellen responded, "Let's go into the cathedral. I'm sure everyone's waiting for us." "Right. Let's go!" Asuna declared, and the girls and cat went into the cathedral.

When they arrived, they found Hibiki, Kanade and Ako sitting around the piano, waiting for the group. They greeted the group as they arrived and were introduced to Aqua.

"So what kind of stuff have you been getting into?" Hibiki asked Asuna as Yui and Aqua were with the Fairy Tones. "Just the usual college work." Asuna replied, "I was really hoping after everything Aqua, Yui and I experienced, I would get a little break. But no such luck." "We could say the same thing about being Pretty Cures." Hibiki sighed.

"We just have to think about the things we gained in our endeavors, instead." Kanade replied, "Like meeting each other, and making many other friends along the way. I'm sure that's reward enough." "You have a good point there." Asuna agreed, looking to Aqua, who looked back. If she hadn't been on this journey as a Keyblade wielder, she wouldn't have known Aqua.

Just as they were wondering on what to do next. A bright light glowed from above. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked up. A small portal started to open up from the ceiling. "What is that?" Aqua asked. "I don't know." Ako replied. Suddenly, a letter with a pink outline floated out of the portal, and floated down into Hibiki's hands. The portal closed afterwards.

"What's with this letter?" Hibiki and Kanade asked harmoniously. "That emblem on the letter, nya!" Hummy pointed out, seeing the emblem of a heart with wings underneath and a yellow star in the heart, "It came from the fairy school, nya." "You're right." Ellen agreed, seeing the letter. Asuna had almost forgotten that Ellen was once a Fairy of Song, too.

"So there's a school for fairies?" Yui asked as Sori and Dodori were on her head. "Absolutely, nya!" Hummy replied, "We study there and make tons of new friends, nya!" "It's kind of like an elementary school for fairies." Ellen described, "It's also where we learned all about the Pretty Cure, and the current ones that exists." "I get it." Aqua understood.

"Does that mean you guys are mentioned there?" Asuna asked the group. "You're more than likely there, too." Ako added to Asuna, "You are a member of our team." "Wow!" Asuna gasped, wondering what they heard about her.

"Ellen, Hummy, is it okay for me to open it up?" Hibiki asked. "Sure!" Ellen and Hummy replied. Hibiki opened up the four sides of the letter envelope, revealing the letter inside. Suddenly, a light came from the letter, and a small projection of a small, brown fairy with a red cape and a leaf mask appeared.

"Hello, everyone." greeted the fairy, bowing to them, "I, no, everyone at the fairy school wants to hold a part for the Pretty Cure and their fairies! Please make sure to come!" The projection died down, and went back to a normal letter.

The team looked to one another, then Hibiki grinned. "Well, what are we waiting for?" she asked, "Let's go to this party and see the others there!" "It's been so long since I've seen all the other Pretty Cure." Asuna stated, "I can't wait to see them!" "But how are we going to the fairy school?" Aqua asked. "We can use the magical pathway to get there, nya." Hummy replied, "It can not only take us to Major Land, but the world of the fairy school, nya!"

"Tsubomi and Love's Pretty Cure teams are nearby Kanon Town." Kanade pointed out, "Let's call them and tell them to come here." "Sure thing!" Hibiki replied, pulling out her cellphone, "I'll call Love. You call Tsubomi!" Kanade picked up her phone and dialed the number.

"So there are other Pretty Cure besides you guys?" Aqua asked Asuna and Ellen. "Sure are. In fact, there are thirty Pretty Cure in total." Asuna pointed out. "Th-thirty of them?!" Aqua asked, surprised. "That's the kind of reaction we had when we found out." Ellen giggled. "I've still haven't gotten the same power like mama." Yui moaned, "I wish I could be a Pretty Cure, too." "Don't worry. You're still beneficial to us." Ako assured her, placing a hand on Yui's shoulder and smiling at her.

After they called their friends, the team waited outside the cathedral. After a couple hours, the team saw the two groups finally arriving. They were the girls that made up the Heartcatch Pretty Cure and the Fresh Pretty Cure, along with their fairies. The Fresh Pretty Cure's fairy Tarte wasn't with them, but Love said he was already at the fairy school.

After a meet and greet, Hummy called upon the magical pathway, which looked like a rainbow road of piano teeth. They all hopped aboard and floated along the pathway upwards and through a portal. When they came through, they saw a large forest, with a lake in the center of it, a river that went into it with a waterfall, a large field of flowers, the school building where the fairy school was at, which was built into a tree, and the sky with a massive sunflower that glowed brightly like the sun above them.

"So big!" gasped Erika of Heartcatch. "So this is where the fairies all go to school, huh?" Inori of Fresh asked. "Look at the sun! It's a giant sunflower!" Tsubomi of Heartcatch noticed, "It's almost like you, Itsuki." Itsuki giggled at this, considering she was Cure Sunshine, and represented sunflowers.

When they all landed, they found themselves within a forest close to the cliffs, looking about. "So where's the school?" Asuna asked. "I think I saw it in that direction." Love of Heartcatch replied, pointing towards the direction to the right of where they landed. "I could've sworn it was the opposite direction, Love." Miki of Heartcatch corrected her. "Yeah, I saw it in that direction, too." Aqua added. "Same here." Ellen finished. Love looked embarrassed at this.

"Love, you have a really bad sense of direction." Ako told her. "I guess everyone has that kind of person." Asuna sighed, "For our group, it's Sora and Donald." "It's usually Hibiki in our group." Kanade stated, making Hibiki freeze. "I don't get THAT lost!" Hibiki shouted. "It's alway those wrong pathways that always get to ya." Erika stated, with Love and Hibiki nodding in agreement. "Those three are hopeless, desu." sighed Coffret of Heartcatch. "Oh, boy." Asuna sighed as the others giggled at this.

They went along the right direction, looking about the place. So far, there didn't seem to be anyone around that they could see. They wondered where all of the fairies and the other Pretty Cure teams were at. Little did they know they were walking headfirst into a trap.

* * *

**Chapter 2: Trapping the Pretty Cure**

Yui then frowned as she looked around. "What up, Yui, nya?" Hummy asked, still in her arms. "I don't know." Yui replied, "It just, I got this weird feeling all of a sudden. Like we're being watched." "It's probably a fairy noticing us." Yuri of Heartcatch assumed. "Oy! Is there anyone out there?!" Hibiki called out. "Don't be afraid. We're Pretty Cure!" Love added. "Well, most of us." Asuna muttered, indicating Aqua and Yui.

"I know you are Pretty Cure…" said an ominous voice, and from out of the bushes appeared a small black creature. It had the form of a fairy, but it was all black, with yellow eyes and a brown diamond mark on its' forehead. It gave off an ominous feeling.

"Who are you?" Asuna demanded as she, Aqua and Yui got in front of the girls. "My name is Gray." the shadow replied, "I'm here to prove that you Pretty Cure are nothing but normal girls. And I'll prove that by defeating you." The girls immediately were prepared to fight off the creature.

"Leave this to us!" Asuna decided, waving a hand out to the girls, then pulling out her Sisterly Tides Keyblade as Aqua pulled out her Stormfall Keyblade and Yui produced her tessen. Gray pulled a pink book out of the blue and opened its' pages. "Ah, the otherworldly members of the Suite Pretty Cure." he noticed, "Cure Soul and Yui, who isn't a Pretty Cure." Yui grimaced at this. "But the book doesn't say anything about you." Gray added, looking at Aqua.

"What is that book?" Yui asked. "That's the Pretty Cure Textbook, nya!" Hummy replied, "It tells everything about the Pretty Cure. Who they are, what groups they are in, their attacks, everything, nya!" "Oh, no!" Yui gasped, realizing what kind of information Gray had on them. "Actions speak louder than words!" Asuna growled, and she charged at Gray.

She thrusted her Keyblade forward, but Gray contorted its' body into a snake-like form, avoiding Asuna's Keyblade and reforming to the side of her. "What the…?" Asuna gasped, then got hit in the back of the head by another black being that had the same look as Gray. "There's more of them?!" Hibiki asked incredulously as several more spawns sprung up around in snake-like forms. Aqua looked around her, then charged at the nearest one while Yui helped out Asuna.

Asuna rose to her feet and looked about, seeing her adversaries. "This doesn't bode well." Asuna mumbled, her Keyblade in position. "They don't seem to be Heartless, but they have the same quality as one." Yui pointed out, "Maybe these are a different form of them?" "Whatever they are, we have to take them down." Asuna replied, "Let's go, Yui!" "Okay, mama!" Yui replied, and the two charged at the creatures.

The Gray spawns were tricky fighters, but Asuna was able to adapt to their movements and fight them off. Aqua's magical skills worked greatly in this battle, since her magic was much different compared to the others. The only one who seemed to struggle was Yui, who although was fighting them off, she wasn't able to do as much damage as the others. And what was more, more Gray spawns kept coming at the trio.

The three went back to back to one another, their weapons raised. "These things just won't quit!" Asuna muttered. "Let's not get frustrated, Asuna." Aqua told her sister, "We can still win. We just have to keep fighting." "Let's get the other Pretty Cure to help us out!" Yui suggested.

Just then, they heard some outcries, and turned to see a pair of Gray spawns swerve around the girls, reappearing in front of the trio with its' hands holding the Pretty Cure's transformation devices. "What are you…?!" Asuna gasped, they they heard some squeaky cries, and looked the other way to see another pair of spawns holding the fairies. They placed white tape with red Xs on their mouthes, then created a container for them, and threw them into it. "Hummy!" Yui cried. "They got the fairies!" Asuna gasped.

"Without the fairies or their transformation items, the Pretty Cures can't do a thing." one of the Gray spawns stated. "Hey! Give me back my Heart Perfume and Coffret, you jerk!" Erika demanded. Several of the spawns inhaled deeply, and spewed a black crystal mist at the twelve girls, who shielded themselves from it with their arms.

Suddenly, their bodies started to be covered in a dark crystal. "What is this?!" Kanade gasped. "I can't move!" Inori noticed. "What are you doing to them!" Asuna gasped, turning to the spawns in front of her, Aqua and Yui. "They are turning into crystals." Gray responded, "And so will you, too!" It inhaled deeply and spewed more mist. Yui unleashed a Whirlwind, which gathered the mist, and sent it away from the trio. "Asuna…" Ellen called out, her body nearly turned to crystal. "Ellen! Everyone!" Asuna cried, seeing her friends all now turning fully into crystals.

The Gray spawns all laughed as the three remaining girls angrily looked around them. "You fiends have gone too far!" Aqua hissed. "If you want to face a Pretty Cure, then I shall gladly give you that opportunity!" Asuna declared, her body glowing red, "_Precure Soul!_"

In a cutscene, Asuna's body was enveloped in a stream of ribbons, morphing into her new attire, and her hair changed color and style. She then finished with her earrings chiming as they made their appearance. Asuna played an electric guitar chord on a music bar. "_Strumming to the soul's beat, Cure Soul!_" Asuna shouted, striking a pose.

Asuna, now Cure Soul, charged at the spawns at great speeds, punching and kicking anyone near her. "Go, mama!" Yui cheered as Aqua watched her, seeing Asuna in this form for the first time. Soul jumped into the air, with several spawns rising up to her. Soul produced her Keyblade, holding it like a guitar. "_Soul Sonic!_" she shouted, playing a power chord, and sending note-shaped arrows of red energy scattering at all of the spawns, blasting them and making them vanish.

Soul landed on the ground, turning to a large spawn that was morphed from three others. "You don't scare me!" she growled, holding out her Keyblade, "_Fly forth, Tone Ring!_" she drew a red ring of energy with the tip of her Keyblade, then directed it at the large spawn. "_Precure Soulful Beat Rock!_" she shouted, and she fired the Tone Ring at the spawn.

"That attack is similar to Cure Melody, Rhythm and Beat's." Gray stated, squishing its' body flat as the ring passed right over it. "It's merely a straight-forward disc throw. It's simple to dodge." "No way!" Soul gasped, then the body of the Gray spawn launched itself at her, striking her and sending her flying.

Soul landed onto the ground as it inhaled to breath mist on her. "_Shotlock: Bubble Blaster!_" Aqua shouted, targeting the spawn and firing a series of bubble that exploded on impact, sending it toppling into the trees. "Thanks, sis." Soul thanked her as Aqua helped her up. The two then glared as the several remaining spawns surrounded the big one, still raring to go.

Yui was about to join them when Soul said, "Yui, I want you to get away from here." "No way!" Yui retorted, "I'm not going to run away from these monsters." "You misunderstand." Soul told her, "I want you to go warn the other Pretty Cure of what's happening her. This party was a trap, and they don't know about it. That's why I need you to go out there and save them!" "We'll open a path for you to move forward." Aqua assured her, hold her Keyblade up, "Just make sure not to get captured by these monsters."

"Can't you come with me?!" Yui asked desperately. "Someone has to protect the other girls and you from these things." Soul told her, "We'll keep Gray busy. We're counting on you to deliver the message!"

Yui looked to both girls, then to the crystalized girls behind her, and the trapped fairies in the container. Yui shut her eyes tight, wondering what the right decision was. Finally, she decided to do what her mother and aunt wanted her to do. She desperately rushed in a different direction from the monsters.

"You're not getting away!" one of the Gray spawns warned her, coming at her like a snake. "Leave her alone!" Aqua shouted, dashing in and slashing the spawn into a tree. Yui rushed through the woods, and disappeared from view, leaving Soul and Aqua alone. Aqua looked back at Soul, who was concentrated on the monsters. _Please, do your best, Yui_. she thought to herself as she made a battle cry and charged at the Gray spawns.

Yui kept her dash going as she charged right through the forest. _Mama, Aqua, everyone, please be okay!_ Yui thought to herself,_ As soon as I find some help, I'm coming right back to help you! I swear to you, I won't let you down!_ Yui looked determinately on the path ahead, searching for the other Pretty Cure.

For a while, Yui kept rushing and stopping to look for any of the Pretty Cure, then rushing when she couldn't find them. She reached the bottom of the cliff and continued on her path. She then saw two crystalized characters kneeling on the ground. It was Saki and Mai, the Splash Star Pretty Cure girls. "Oh, no! They already made it here!" Yui gasped, then she looked onward and rushed on.

The next group she saw was the Yes! Precure 5 team trapped in crystal as well. They were already defeated, too. She continued onward, then heard an explosion followed by a trio of screams. "No! Not more of them!" Yui shouted, rushing to the place where it came from. It took five minutes, but she arrived on the scene, seeing Nagisa, Honoka and Hikari all crystalized as well. "I was too late…" Yui muttered, seeing the Max Heart Pretty Cure and kneeling to the ground, "Even they were unable to stop them. What should I do?"

Yui paused for a second, then gasped, "Wait! There's still one more team left! The Smile Pretty Cure. I have to make it to them!" Yui rushed toward the direction of the lake, hoping to find the girls there. _Please don't let me be too late!_ she though to herself.

After a while, she was getting close to the lake when she heard battle noises. "There's still someone fighting!" Yui cried in relief. She rushed out of the trees to find herself near the lake, and she saw where the battle was coming from. The Smile Pretty Cure were fighting one of the large Gray spawns, fighting with all they got, but it was overwhelming them due to its' knowledge about their attacks.

"Hold on, I'm coming!" Yui shouted, racing along the lake shore towards them as a tree fell. Happy went and grabbed someone who nearly got caught underneath the falling tree, and as she ran off, she ended up leaving herself vulnerable from an attack from behind. She was sent tumbling to the ground, and the spawn snatched Happy's Smile Pact away, forcing her back into a normal girl.

"Miyuki!" shouted Cure Sunny. "An opening!" shouted Gray, coming from behind the other for and sending streams of its' own body at the four, sending them flying. It then grabbed their Smile Pacts as they landed, and all four of them reverted to normal girls. "Everyone!" shouted Miyuki as she sat up.

"Not on my watch!" Yui shouted, raising her hand as Shadow's ring started to glow. She then shot a Yui Spear at Gray, striking it in the back of the head. It turned to see Yui racing at her. "You again!" he growled. "Yui!" Miyuki cried. Yui raised her tessen, making a battle cry as she raced towards the spawn. "Get lost!" it shouted, extending its' arm and whipping it at Yui sending her crying into a tree, and collapse into the bushes.

Yui rose up, watching as the Gray spawn inhaled deeply as it shouted, "It's over now!" It blew out the dark mist at the Smile Pretty Cure. "Get out of there!" Yui shouted desperately, but already their bodies were starting to turn into crystal. Yui stood up and rushed past the spawn over to each of them, seeing their bodies harden into crystal. "I can't move!" Nao, a.k.a Cure March gasped. Yui ran to Miyuki, seeing her body crystalizing. "_Esuna!_" Yui shouted, sending a mist of green energy at her, but it didn't work at all.

"You'll all turn into crystals, too. Just like them!" Gray shouted, and everyone looked to see the spawn turn into a television form, displaying the Max Heart Pretty Cure on the screen. "It can't be!" Miyuki gasped, "Nagisa, Honoka, Hikari!" "Saki, Mai!" Akane, a.k.a Cure Sunny, shouted as their display appeared on screen. "Nozomi and the others, too!" Yayoi, a.k.a Cure Peace, seeing them in the next screen. "What the heck is going on?" Nao asked, seeing the screen filled with the twelve other girls, trapped in crystals. "This party was just a trap for us!" Reika, a.k.a Cure Beauty, realized.

"That's right! And they will soon join you, as well." Gray added, showing Aqua and Soul breathing heavily as they desperately fought against the Gray spawns. "Mama! Aqua!" Yui cried, watching them struggle. The screen displayed them jumping away as a black mist came at them, then the screen went blank.

As the Gray turned back to normal, Akane and the others turned fully into crystals, leaving Miyuki mostly crystalized and Yui right next to her. "I was too late again." Yui sobbed, "I'm sorry, mama. I'm sorry, Aqua. I couldn't save the others." Miyuki looked to Yui, who had tears in her eyes, then more crying heard from the bushes, and the two saw a beige, fox-like fairy with a blue hood over its' head.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" he kept crying. "Why are you apologizing?" Miyuki asked, then she gasped, "Don't tell me…!" she and Yui looked to the Gray spawn, who was looking the other way, cheering for his victory. "Does this monster have a connection with this fairy?" Yui asked. She stood up and walked over to the fairy, who continuously apologized as it continued to cry. It didn't look like a bad fairy, and it was really guilty for some reason.

"It's fine. So please, stop crying, okay?" Miyuki told the crying fairy. Yui looked over and saw, for some reason, Miyuki smiling at the two. "Yui, can you do something for me, please?" she asked, "Please take that fairy, and tell the Doki Doki Pretty Cure something." "Doki Doki Pretty Cure?" both Yui and the fairy echoed. "They're newly minted Pretty Cure." Miyuki giggled, surprising the two, "They will be here soon."

Yui wiped away the tears and turned to Miyuki, seeing the crystal starting to form up her neck and around her head. "Please tell Mana, I mean, Cure Heart, we're in a tight pinch and we could use their help." Miyuki requested. Yui looked down, worried. "But what if we don't make it in time?" Yui asked, "I haven't been able to save anyone so far…" "Please do it, for me?" Miyuki asked. Yui looked up and saw the crystal covering her entire face except for her left eye. The fairy looked above the bushes at Miyuki. The two watched as Miyuki's eye was covered, making her fully crystalized.

Yui looked to Miyuki, her last request echoing in her head, then down at the fairy, who had begun to cry again. "I almost forgot about you." the Gray spawn stated, looking at Yui and the fairy, "I should freeze you two up as well!" Yui gasped as the spawn shot towards her, and she dove out of the way into the bushes where the fairy was at. She picked him up, and took off into the woods again.

"Yui, kuru!" called out a familiar voice. It was Candy, the Smile Pretty Cure's fairy. "Candy!" Yui cried, seeing the fairy jump up onto her shoulder as they took off deeper into the woods. "Tch! Looks like they got away." Gray muttered, shrinking down to the size of the fairies, "Well, no matter. They won't be able stop me."

"You did it!" cheered a new fairy, "We caught all of the Pretty Cure!" The new fairy looked like a brown raccoon, with a dark brown diamond on its' head like Gray, a red cape held by a yellow gem, a blue rope around its' waist with a wooden sword stuck underneath. This fairy was Gureru.

Gray spat out the Smile Pacts in front of Gureru, who picked one up. "This is the real deal!" he snickered, "Everyone will be so surprised!" "Yes, they will see you in a new light." Gray agreed.

"Finally, I'll become the hero of the class!" Gureru cheered, "Although, what about that other girl that left with EnEn?" "No worries." Gray assured him, "That girl will be caught like the rest of the Pretty Cure. Then no one can go up against us anymore." Gray turned to the fairy school building, and a malicious look came into his eyes as he giggled.

* * *

**Chapter 3: Newly Minted! Doki Doki Pretty Cure!**

"Candy, we need to find a way to save the other girls, somehow!" Yui told the fairy, "And also, I have to follow Miyuki's advice and find these new Pretty Cure with this fairy!" The fairy in question was hugging Yui as she held it in her arms.

"I'll do my part, kuru!" Candy replied, "I'll go find my brother, kuru! He'll be able to help us, kuru!" "You do that!" Yui replied as Candy hopped off her shoulder and raced off in another direction, "Please, don't get captured like the other fairies!" "Alright, kuru!" Candy cried back.

Yui pressed onward, then looked down at the fairy, who was still sobbing in her chest. "It's okay. Don't cry, okay?" Yui assured him, "Now what's your name?" The fairy looked up at Yui with tear-strained eyes, then replied, "E-EnEn."

"Okay, EnEn." Yui replied, "Can you tell me why you were apologizing before?" EnEn looked scared, wondering if he should reply, then sobbed, "I…I helped capture them…" "The Pretty Cure?" Yui asked, surprised. "All…I wanted was to have a friend!" EnEn cried, "I…I didn't mean to make the Pretty Cure like that! I love the Pretty Cure! I didn't want to hurt them! But Gureru, and that shadow, they said that I couldn't be their friend unless I helped, so I…"

"I get it." Yui understood, "So you were bullied into trying to trick the Pretty Cure." Yui understood, looking onwards, "Well, I don't know about this Gureru, but I do know that Gray is bad news. We need to stop him, no matter what!" "But how?" EnEn asked. "We need to find the Doki Doki Pretty Cure, have them join forces with my mama and Aqua, then we can work together and save the other Pretty Cure!"

EnEn looked up at Yui, amazed at Yui's confidence. However, inside, Yui wasn't that confident. She was too late to warn the other Pretty Cure about Gray. She was too late on stopping Gray turning the Smile Pretty Cure into crystals. And she promised her mother and Aqua that she would get some help and come back to save them. She hoped that she would reach the Doki Doki Pretty Cure on time.

They arrived on an open pathway and ran along it, looking for any signs of danger. Yui slowed down to a walk, looking down a bit. "I really hope we can find the new Pretty Cure, soon." Yui mumbled, "I really wish I was a Pretty Cure, too." "You want to be one?" EnEn asked. Yui nodded. "I may be acting tough, but I'm still scared." Yui mumbled, "That's why I want to have the strength of a Pretty Cure, like my mama."

EnEn looked up at her for a second, then realized, "Hold on, is your mama Cure Soul?" "That's right!" Yui replied, "So the Textbook does say something about her." "It tells about you, too!" EnEn added, "And it also tells about that duck fairy with you guys." "You mean Donald?" Yui asked, then giggled, "Even he was mentioned, too! I guess that makes sense, since he was with us the second time we visited the Pretty Cure world."

Yui looked down at EnEn again, "Even so, my mama is the leader of our trio. She saved me so many times. I just want to do my part by saving her. So, I decided I wanted to get stronger so I can protect her, and protect so many other people, too!" EnEn eyes sparkled as she looked up at her. "But so far, I haven't done any good saving the other Pretty Cure, have I?" Yui asked, looking down despairingly again.

EnEn looked down as well, scared. "How are we gonna find the other Pretty Cure, anyway?" he mumbled. They stopped in their tracks, and sighed. Their confidence have been taken a toll.

"Hi there!" greeted a voice. The two looked up and were surprised to see four new girls appear in front of them. The first girl had magenta eyes and short magenta hair with curls in the back and a small ponytail tied on the top. The second girl had blue eyes and long, navy colored hair with braids in the back that joined downward. The third girl had dark orange eyes and orange hair that were tied into buns with a few strands sticking out. The final girl had dark purple eyes and hair, which was held neatly with hair clips.

"Nice to meet a fellow Pretty Cure!" greeted the magenta-haired girl, "My name is Mana Aida." Yui blinked, still surprised as the fairy looked paralyzed. "Are you okay?" Mana asked, walking to Yui and EnEn. "They're in shock." the violet-haired girl, Makoto, guessed. "Sorry for surprising you." apologized the navy-haired girl, Rikka. "We aren't anyone suspicious." the orange-haired girl, Alice, assured them.

"Mana…Aida." Yui muttered, remembering the name Miyuki mentioned. "That's right!" Mana replied. "Excuse me, but do you happen to know whether the Pretty Cure part is being held around here?" Yui and EnEn looked surprised at this point. Who would've thought they would just meet the people they were searching for so easily.

"P-Pretty Cure party?!" stammered EnEn, scared of them thinking they would judge him after he tricked the Smile Pretty Cure. He jumped out of Yui's arms and took off into the woods, crying in fright. "EnEn!" Yui cried. "Wait up!" Mana added. EnEn, however, disappeared from view.

Mana turned to Yui and asked, "Did I say something wrong?" "No." Yui replied, her face getting serious, "But listen, about this Pretty Cure party. It's not real." The four girls are surprised, "It was a trap." Yui explained, "All of the Pretty Cure have been turned into crystals, and I need your guys' help to save them. Please help me!" Yui bowed her head, begging for their help.

"So the party was a trap?" Rikka asked. "And all the other Pretty Cure were captured?" Makoto followed. Yui nodded, then looked worried as she added, "All but my mama. She and Aqua are still fighting, but I don't know for how long. I went to get some help, but I…"

Mana placed a hand on Yui's shoulder, and she looked up to see Mana smiling at her. "Don't you worry." she assured her, "We'll save your mother, along with the rest of the Pretty Cure. You can count on it!" Yui smiled at Mana happily. She was just as eager to help as Sora.

Just then, the girls heard a pair of outcries. They turned to see EnEn running back to them, with a panicking Gureru and a warthog-shaped Gray chasing the two. "That's one of the shadow creatures!" Yui cried, "EnEn!" "Help us out!" Gureru shouted in a frightened tone. "Rikka, Alice, MakoPi, let's go!" Mana told her friends. Yui turned around and saw them pull out their transformation devices, which looked like phones.

Each of their devices cried out as they inserted their Cure Lovead into the top of each one. "_Precure Love Link!_" they shouted in unison, then on the pad of their phones, they drew the letters 'L.O.V.E' on the hearts before they glowed and a bow and arrow with a heart-shaped end on them produced themselves and made their bodies glow, transforming their hair and attire into their Pretty Cure forms.

_"Abundant love! Cure Heart!"_

_"The light of wisdom! Cure Diamond!"_

_"A warm and sunny spot! Cure Rosetta!"_

_"The courageous blade! Cure Sword!"_

The four got in a line as they raised one of their hands. _"Resonate! The beat of love!"_ they chanted in unison before striking a pose, _"Doki Doki Pretty Cure!"_

The four transformed in front of Yui and the oncoming runners. While their attires looked similar, each had a different color coordination. Mana, now Cure Heart, had bright pink eyes and blonde hair that was in a long ponytail, small, bunny ear-like buns and a curly mullet.

Rikka, now Cure Diamond, had light-blue eyes, and light-blue hair that fell in a broad ponytail, with curls at the ends and on the side strands.

Alice, now Cure Rosetta, had orange eyes and hair, which was styled in large twin-tails that curled at the end, and a pair of double hair rings on the top of her head.

Finally, Makoto, now Cure Sword, had orchid eyes and hair, which resembled Cure Beat's hair, but shorter hair and side ponytail, which curled at the end.

"Doki Doki Pretty Cure?!" Gureru gasped. "They're the ones?" EnEn asked. "I knew it! You guys really are Pretty Cure!" Yui gasped, thankful she was right. The fairies jumped to one side as the Pretty Cure jumped high over the oncoming warthog. Yui readied her tessen, and unleashed a Whirlwind that sent the shadow flying over her head, splatting to the ground behind her. "Nice going!" Heart cheered as the four girls landed.

Everyone turned to see shadowy blob turn into a more humanoid form as it pulled out the Pretty Cure Textbook, looking at its' pages. "Doki Doki Pretty Cure…They're not here…they aren't in this book!" It muttered, flipping the pages, "They're Pretty Cure… Why aren't they in the book?" It turned around and jumped out of sight.

Yui sighed in relief, then looked back at the four Pretty Cure. "You sure surprised it." Yui told them, "That book contains all the data on the Pretty Cure known so far, so you guys being new ones was something he didn't expect." "I see, so that's how it fought the other Pretty Cure." Cure Sword understood.

"He's gone…" Gureru sighed. "Hey, who was that thing?" Heart asked Yui and the fairies. "That was Gray." Yui replied, walking over to EnEn and kneeling down to pick him up. "It's responsible for the trap." Yui looked over to Gureru, who nervously looked back. "That mark on your head, and your figure…" Yui muttered, "It resembles quite a bit to that monster."

Gureru pursed his lips, then looked at EnEn, who looked back like he was about to cry again. "What's with that expression, EnEn?!" Gureru barked at him, "Stop looking like that!" EnEn looked even more nervous than before. "If you want to say something, then spill it out!" Gureru barked, "Just say it! That it was all my fault! I caused Gray to be formed! I had him defeat the other Pretty Cure! Just tell me that, already!"

"So it was you? You caused all this?" Yui asked. "Yes, yes, yes! It was all my fault!" Gureru shouted back, "I wanted to be a hero by defeating the Pretty Cure, and he did that for me!" "That doesn't make any sense." Yui replied, "How can you be a hero by defeating Pretty Cure, who are also heroes?"

Just then, EnEn couldn't take it, and he bursted out crying in Yui's arms. Yui and Gureru looked at him sensitively, then Gureru shouted, "Stop crying! You crybaby!" This only made EnEn cry harder. Gureru started to form tears as he shouted, "Stop crying!"

"You can't just tell someone to stop crying like that!" Yui snapped back, "Some people are too sensitive to harsh words like that!" "So what? He needs to man up and stop crying!" Gureru barked back, "Besides, what do you know?! You couldn't do a thing to protect the other Pretty Cure!" Yui eyes widened in shock at these words, then she looked down, depressed. As tough as the words were, he was right.

"Okay, that's enough." said Heart, placing a hand between the two parties. Gureru and EnEn calmed themselves down as best as they could. Yui looked at Heart as she clapped her hands together. "There are times when you want to cry." Heart told them. "There are times when you want to get angry. And there are times when you feel sorry for yourself. But all those things aren't much fun at all, right?" Yui looked at Heart, then looked down and nodded in agreement. "Then let's stop doing thing that aren't fun, okay?" she asked.

"Even if you say that…" Gureru muttered, "There's nothing we can do now…" Yui looked at him, feeling some understanding on how he felt. "That's all in your head." Diamond told him, "Do you want to give up because there's nothing you can do? Or do you want to get yourself together and do something?" Yui looked at Diamond. She did have a point. After all, giving up on saving someone was something she never did before.

"It's like I told, uh…" Heart started, then she turned to Yui, "What was your name?" "Yui." she replied. "We already told Yui that we would help you out, so that's what we'll do!" Heart replied, looking to Gureru, "What do you really want to do?" "I really…" Gureru started, looking at the sobbing EnEn in Yui's arms.

Gureru looked back at Heart with a little more determination, and replied, "Gray is my shadow. It's my fault for creating him. That why…I want to stop him. No, I have to!" "We understand." Diamond responded. "We'll stop him, for sure!" Heart added. Gureru beamed at this.

"What about you two?" Rosetta asked Yui and EnEn. Yui looked down, knowing the answer, and looked at EnEn still crying. Hiding away her troubles, Yui smiled as she wiped away EnEn's tears. "Tell me, how do you feel about crying?" she asked EnEn, "Do you like it, or hate it?" "I…I hate it." EnEn sobbed.

"It's okay to cry at times, but if you hate crying, then what do you want to do?" Rosetta asked. "I…" EnEn started, "I…I want to be smiling like Cure Happy." Yui smiled down at him, knowing what she meant. "And I want to be strong, like my mama, Cure Soul." she added.

"So you two met Happy?" Heart asked them. "Yeah." Yui replied, "In fact, she wanted to give you a message, Heart. Go ahead, EnEn. Tell her." EnEn hesitated, then he spoke up, "She said, 'We're in a real pinch, so please help us'."

Heart blinked, then she smiled as she replied. "I got it. Message received." "See? You were able to properly say what you wanted to say." Sword told EnEn. "It's true…I did!" he gasped.

Yui smiled at EnEn, then she stood up and looked sternly at the Pretty Cure. "We need to find my mama and Aqua." she told them, "She's in a pinch, right now, so we should hurry back and save them." "Do you know where they are?" Diamond asked. Yui nodded, looking towards the cliff. "They're just up there." Yui replied, "We'd better hurry!" With that, Yui picked up Gureru as she carried the fairies with her, with the others right behind.

* * *

**Chapter 4: I'm Guiding you Forward!**

Yui led the team through the forest, getting closer to the foot of the cliffside. They raced up the path the Pretty Cure were on before. Yui noticed just how quiet it has gotten. If Soul and Aqua were still fighting, surely they would've heard them by now. The silence was not a good sign.

They finally reached the midway point when they saw the twelve Pretty Cure, all frozen in a crystalized state. "Look at all of them!" gasped Rosetta. "Are all of them Pretty Cure?" Sword asked. "They are." Yui replied, "However, their transformation devices and fairies got taken from them before they could help." "That's horrible." Sword stated, looking into the crystal Hibiki of the Suite Pretty Cure was at.

Yui looked around the area, then gasped as she saw the horrifying truth. Asuna and Aqua were there, frozen in crystal. Aqua was still standing, her hand raised as she had her Keyblade to the side, and she had a struggling face on her. Asuna was in a kneeling position, facing Aqua, her hands to either side as her eyes were closed, her face calm.

"Mama! Aqua!" Yui cried, racing towards the two, with the others behind her. They stopped in front of the two crystalized characters. Yui slumped to the ground, placing a hand on Asuna's shoulder. "No…I was too late again." Yui muttered, tears forming in her eyes again, "Why…why is this happening to me?!" "They looked like they were putting up strong fight before they gave in." Sword noticed, seeing Aqua.

Yui had begun to cry in front of Asuna, placing her hands in her face. "I couldn't even come to save my mama and Aqua…" she sobbed, "They needed my help, and I failed them. I'm sorry, mama! I couldn't do anything! I'm sorry!" she begun to cry hard as EnEn and Gureru looked at her sympathetically, looking like they were going to cry, too.

"Don't be discouraged." Heart told her, kneeling down next to Yui and placing a hand on her shoulder, "You can still save them, you know." "But how?" Yui whined, "Everything I tried, I ended up failing. I was just too slow to do anything to help anyone!"

"That's not true!" Diamond retorted, "You came to help us. You warned us of the trouble beforehand. You saved us from the danger." "That's right! And you helped me out, too!" EnEn pointed out, "I might've not found the Pretty Cure without you protecting me."

"Look at your mother's face." Heart told Yui, "You can see she believed in you." Yui wiped away the tears and looked at Asuna's face. For a while, she didn't notice it, but then she saw what Heart saw; Asuna was smiling. Even as she was crystalizing, she was smiling. "That smile tells you she believed you would succeed." Heart told her, "Not only did you guide EnEn to us, but you guided us to her. You didn't fail her. You helped us reach this far."

Yui looked to the Pretty Cure, who were smiling at her, then down at the fairies, with Gureru and EnEn looking up at her. She looked to Asuna again, thinking. "I have always been guiding them." she muttered. "Mama, papa, everyone. Whether it was in the virtual world, or in any other world, I have always found a way to help them out, no matter what kind of road or what kind of danger was in front of us. I may have not been as strong as them, but I still did my part to keep them going forward, didn't I?"

"And were you happy being with them, helping them out?" Heart asked, "Were their times you were there, right on time, to help?" Yui sniffed as she wiped away more tears formed in her eyes with her arm, and nodded.

"Then you shouldn't give up, now." Heart told her, "If you fall down, you get back up again, smiling like before. I've known many times I've failed to help someone out." "That's because you pile too many tasks on your plate, Heart." Diamond teased her. "The point is that you should never give up when you failed a few times." Sword told her, "If someone needs your help, do you want to help them, or are you too afraid to fail them?"

Yui opened her eyes, realizing their words. She thought back to how she saved Kirito and Asuna from the Reaper. To how she led Kirito all the way to Asuna in ALO, to all the battles and traveling she did with her parents, Sora, Donald and Goofy both in hers and Sora's dimension. Even through all that, she never stopped helping them, and continued to help her friends and family out.

Yui got back up to her feet again, turning to the group that was comforting her. "I…I know that I have to keep moving forward." Yui stated, "And I know that I will do whatever it takes to help you guys forward, too. This is only a minor setback, right now, but it isn't over, not by a long shot!" The others smiled at her dedication to keep going, EnEn and Gureru looked up at Yui, inspired at her determination.

"Let me contact Mr. Mepple, quel." Diamond's transformation device, the fairy Raquel spoke, "I'm sure he can help us, quel." "Yeah! Mepple is Cure Black's Pretty Cure fairy!" Yui remembered as Raquel and the other fairies of the Pretty Cure floated into the air, "If he can give us his and the other fairy's position, we can get them over to the Pretty Cure, and free them all!"

Raquel started to phone for Mepple, finally getting his call through. "Long time, no see, Mr. Mepple, quel!" Raquel greeted him. There was a moment's pause in which Raquel was talking to Mepple, though they didn't hear him respond.

Finally, he said, "I got it, quel. The fairies and the transformation devices were dropped into the Fairy Waterfall." "If the Pretty Cure are able to transform, then I'm sure we can stop Gray's outburst, lance." said Rosetta's partner, Lance. "Then we'd better hurry and get the transformation devices, and free everyone from crystallization!" Yui told the crew. "Let's go help everyone!" Heart agreed.

The girls knelt down, and the four Pretty Cure placed their hands in the center of their semi-circle. Heart looked up at Yui, who knelt down and placed her hand on top of their's.

"Come on, you two." Heart told EnEn and Gureru. "We could really use your help, too!" Yui told them. Gureru stepped forward and placed his hand on top of theirs, followed shortly by EnEn. "EnEn! You should really go and hide somewhere." Gureru told him. EnEn closed his eyes, then took off his hood, revealing his full head. "I'm going, too!" he told Gureru, who was amazed at his new-found confidence.

"Then let's get going, then!" Heart told them, then to Yui, "Yui, we're counting on you to protecting these two." "I gotcha." Yui responded, "They know this landscape better than us, so they can lead us to the Fairy Waterfalls. I'll do it so long as you do one thing for me." "What's that?" Sword asked. "Keep moving forward!" Yui replied. The four Pretty Cure and their fairies all smiled at Yui, who smiled at the group. "We'll definitely get those transformation devices back!" Heart declared as EnEn and Gureru joined the circle again, "Let's fight!" "Yeah!" cheered the rest of the group.

The team raced through the forest, led by Yui, Gureru and EnEn, who were guiding the crew towards the direction of the waterfall. As they did, the sky started to get darker and darker, and more eerie by the minute. This was more of Gray's work, trying to darken the world.

As they rushed through the dark forest, a Gray spawn bounced into their pathway. "Found you, Doki Doki Pretty Cure!" it cackled. "Diamond! Sword!" Heart told the two behind her. "You got it!" they shouted together, jumping up and rocketing towards the spawn. They begun fighting the spawn while Heart, Rosetta, Yui and the fairies passed by.

"EnEn, Gureru, how much farther?" Yui asked the fairies in her arms and on her head. "Just beyond this forest, then we need to run along another cliffside towards the waterfall!" Gureru replied. "Okay, then let's move faster!" Yui replied, picking up the pace.

Just then, the Gray spawn Diamond and Sword were fighting split into five, ready to fight. "Gureru, EnEn, Yui, go!" Heart told the trio, "We got this!" Yui felt this was coming, but was ready for it. "Stay safe, you guys!" Yui cried, racing off with the fairies. She looked back, seeing the Pretty Cure fighting off the enemies.

One attempted to follow Yui, but she relinquished one of her arms around EnEn as she unleashed her Yui Spear, blasting the shadow in the face and making it stop. "Let's go, Yui!" Gureru replied, tapping her head. "Okay!" she replied, and she took off with the fairies.

"After I defeat you, I will become the new legend!" the Gray spawn fighting Heart stated. "That's not gonna happen!" Heart replied, "Yui, EnEn and Gureru will be able to stop you, I know it!" She backflipped away from the Gray spawn, who pursued her and continued to fight.

Meanwhile, Yui was racing up a grassy hill, where they could see the waterfall in the distance. "There it is!" Yui gasped. "Let's go find the transformation devices!" EnEn declared. "Yeah!" Gureru replied as Yui continued onward.

They ground they were on suddenly started to grow rocky as they got closer. They ended up having to walk across a fairy-sized bridge, rushing along a dark-colored rocky road on the cliffside, going higher and higher from the ground below. Yui was panting as she kept running, but she wasn't giving up as she kept going. _Almost there! Almost there!_ she thought to herself.

About halfway along the cliff, some of the rock gave way underneath Yui, and she stumbled and nearly fell over the edge. EnEn and Gureru flew out of Yui's hands, and she desperately made a catch for them. She managed to grab EnEn's feet, but was too far away to catch Gureru. "Gureru!" EnEn shouted, raising his hands out. Gureru reached out and EnEn grabbed one of his hands. Yui grabbed the ledge of the rocky path as the trio heard the rocks hit the ground far below.

Yui was in an awkward position, and the rock she was hanging onto was quite loose on the rocky wall, which might give way if she moved the slightest. "Guys, you're gonna have to climb up first!" Yui cried, "I don't know how long this rock will hold us!" EnEn was already struggling to hold onto Gureru's hand, and Gureru was looking at his two friends' desperate attempt to save him.

Finally, Gureru muttered, "EnEn, let go." "No…" EnEn replied, shaking his head. "You will fall like this…" Gureru noticed, "If you let go, you can escape up Yui and you two can go find the transformation devices. So please, let go!" Again, EnEn shook his head. "There's no way we're letting go of you!" Yui told Gureru, "You have to pull yourself together!"

"But I'm the bad guy here!" Gureru shouted, "I caused this world to be a wreck! It doesn't matter what happens to me anymore!" "But it does matter to us!" Yui cried back, "You can't give up, now!" "You aren't a bad guy, Gureru!" EnEn added. "I am, too!" Gureru yelled back, his eyes filled with tears, "I am the worst!"

"You're wrong!" EnEn and Yui shouted, shocking Gureru. "Because…you were the one who spoke out to me!" EnEn told him, "You always had time to speak to me. I wasn't alone! You were there for me. That made me so happy!" "And if EnEn would be sad for losing you, then I would be, too!" Yui added, "He wouldn't be able to smile like Cure Happy without you. You may have caused a lot of trouble in this world, and you may have done some stupid things, but even so, EnEn considers you a friend. And for that matter, so do I!"

Gureru looked up amazed at the two people who consider him a friend, seeing the tears from EnEn fall onto his face, and Yui desperately holding onto EnEn, determined to hold the two. "EnEn…Yui…" he muttered, the tears in his eyes forming from the inner happiness he got from his friends. He then reached his other arm out, giving EnEn a better grip as he pulled Gureru up so he could climb up Yui. "That's it! Keep going!" Yui cheered for them.

Just then, the rock Yui was on gave way, and the trio fell off the cliff down the ground far below. Yui grabbed the two in each of her arms, and closed her eyes, waiting for the impact. However, something darted out of the sky, and flew right underneath the trio, catching them in time. It was Happy, and a bird with orange mane on its' neck and an orange, furry tail.

"Big brother, nice catch, kuru!" cheered Candy. "Candy!" Yui gasped, unfurling EnEn and Gureru from her grip. "And Mr. Pop!" EnEn noticed the bird they were on. Gureru was amazed at the miracle that saved them.

"Excuse me, Pop, but we need to get to the Fairy Waterfall!" Yui told the bird, "The fairies and the transformation devices are underneath them." "Please take us there!" Gureru begged. "Please do so!" EnEn added. "Big brother, kuru?!" Candy squeaked. "I gotcha." Pop replied, "Then you'd better hold on tight, de gozaru!"

The group held onto Pop's mane as they soared straight at the waterfall. As soon as they got close, they pointed downward, and Pop made a dive bomb as they dove around the solid rainbow, and underneath the water where the falls hit.

They were all pulled along with the current, holding their breath as they did so. They hit a rock wall underneath the water, forcing Pop to revert to his smaller, lion-like fairy form. As Pop, Candy and EnEn got carried away by the current, Yui and Gureru desperately swam underneath the current, noticing the containment unit where all the fairies and the transformation devices were. With their combined effort, the two lifted the container, and carried it with them along the current, back up to the surface.

When they got ashore, they pulled the container onto the ground and started desperately opening it up, pounding the glass and bottom. However, that didn't do anything. "We aren't even leaving a dent in this thing." Yui sighed, holding her tessen. "Just break already!" growled Gureru, stomping his foot on top of the glass.

EnEn looked at Gureru, then at the wooden sword on his belt. "Gureru, use your sword." he suggested. "But this thing's just a toy sword." he replied. "But it's YOUR sword." Yui pointed out, "And your shadow created this container. It sounds crazy, but then again, I've been around too many Keyblades to think it can be possible." Yui and EnEn nodded towards Gureru, who looked at the two before replying, "Alright."

He pulled out the wooden sword and held it out to EnEn, who grabbed the other part of the handle. "Open up now!" shouted the two, raising the sword and hitting the top of the container with a thwack. For a second, nothing happened. Then there was a burst of light, and the container disappeared, freeing all of the fairies and transformation devices. "It worked!" Yui cheered. "It broke open, kuru!" Happy cheered.

As Yui rushed over to Hummy to rip off the tape muffling her mouth, Mepple and Mipple said, "You saved us, meppo!" "Thank goodness you're all okay, de gozaru!" Pop replied. Yui managed to pull off the tape around Hummy's mouth. "Are you okay, Hummy?" Yui asked. "I'm perfectly fine, nya!" Hummy replied eagerly, making Yui giggle.

"Um…" Gureru muttered, getting everyone's attention, then he bowed as he said, "I'm sorry for putting you through that." Mepple and Mipple looked to one another, smiled, then Mipple said, "Thank you for saving us, mippo." Gureru looked happy at the praise.

"Where are Nagisa and the others, meppo?" Mepple asked. "They're scattered about in the woods." Yui replied, looking at the sunflower sun, which had been turning dark thanks to Gray and its' shadowy powers, "I could take you there, but I don't think we have much time left before this place turns to darkness."

Yui then saw as the shadow covered the sunflower a bit more, it popped out of its' place, and started falling towards the ground below. The sky turned completely dark after that. They were running out of time, fast. Pop and Yes! Pretty Cure 5's fairy Syrup both turned into birds, carrying the fairies and Yui on top of them as they took off towards the crystalized girls.

* * *

**Chapter 5: Freeing the Pretty Cure**

As they flew, Yui looked down and noticed the Doki Doki Pretty Cure team struggling to fight against the Gray spawns. "Hang tough, you guys." Yui muttered, then looking to Pop, "We have to hurry! Our friends need the Pretty Cure's help!" "You got it, de gozaru!" replied Pop, flying a little faster.

"The forest is being swallowed by the darkness!" EnEn gasped. "Mipple, let's go, meppo!" Mepple told his friend. "What? You guys are going into the forest?" Gureru asked, "That's way too dangerous!" "The Pretty Cure will never give up, no matter how dire the situation is, meppo!" Mepple told him. "That's why we, as partners, will never give up either, mippo!" Mipple declared.

EnEn and Gureru were amazed at this. Yui smiled at these words. "As expected from the Pretty Cure's fairies, de gozaru!" Pop stated. The two birds flew faster as they headed towards their locations.

From behind, they heard and saw explosions coming from the Doki Doki Pretty Cure's battle. "Don't give up, Heart! Keep fighting, everyone!" Yui shouted out to them. From her position, Cure Heart heard Yui's words loud and clear, and although she was battered up from her battle, she still smiled. "We will keep moving forward, Yui." she muttered, "Just like we promised you."

Pop landed on the ground in front of the fairy school, and Yui, Candy, EnEn and Gureru hopped off of him. "Big brother, take the Smile Pacts to Miyuki and the others, kuru!" Candy told Pop. "They are along the shoreline of the lake!" Yui explained as Pop took off. "You can count on me, de gozaru!" Pop shouted back. "Hold on, where are Syrup and the others?" EnEn asked, looking about. Syrup was not in the sky anymore.

Suddenly, a massive hand popped out of the ground, aiming for Pop and the fairies he was carrying. "Watch out!" Gureru shouted. "It's right behind you!" Yui cried. Pop did his best avoiding getting caught by the massive shadow hand and all other tricks Gray was pulling. However, after thirty seconds of avoiding all attacks, he eventually got caught, and had to force himself back to his smaller form, causing him and the fairies he was carrying to fall into the dark forest.

Yui and the three fairies watched the massive hand sink back into the ground again. They looked up into the sky, and saw the sunflower head still falling towards the ground. "It's all over…" Gureru moaned, sinking to his hands and knees. "It's not over yet!" Yui retorted, "We just need to keep believing that the Pretty Cure will save us!"

"Do your best, kuru!" Candy shouted at the top of her voice into the forest. "Candy, what are you…" EnEn asked. "Yui's right; It isn't over yet, kuru!" Candy told the two fairies, "My big bro and the Pretty Cure are doing their best! Let's keep cheering for them as hard as we can!"

Yui nodded in agreement, and walked over to the ledge. "I'm gonna cheer for them as well, Candy." she said, and she inhaled deeply, then shouted, "DO YOUR BEST, EVERYONE!" "Do your best, kuru!" shouted Candy. Their voices could be heard far and wide throughout the forest, across the lake, and beyond their sight.

From the fairy school, Tarte and the fairy school teacher looked out of the window, watching the two shout out words of encouragement to the Pretty Cure. EnEn and Gureru joined the two, and the four continued to shout out words of encouragement to the Pretty Cure and the fairies.

Tarte turned around and looked to the students behind him. "Everyone, do ya remember what I taught ya in class this mornin'?" he asked them, "Fairies and Pretty Cure can't transform by themselves. By combinin' their powers, they can call forth an awesome power!"

Tarte inhaled deeply, then started to chant the words 'spirit' over and over again, finally raising his hand up above him. Suddenly, a glittering ball of light appeared from his hand, which morphed into a Miracle Light. "Let's give the Pretty Cure power, too!" he told the class. Suddenly, more Miracle lights appeared for all of the students, and each of them took one.

"Do ya all have one?" Tarte asked, "Then let's go!" He raised his Miracle Light high, and the tip started to glow. This was followed by the rest of the class. "Pretty Cure! Do your best!" Tarte and the class chanted over and over again. Miracle Lights appeared for Candy, Yui, EnEn and Gureru. "These are…!" Yui realized, then she and the fairies raised their glowing Miracle Lights high, shouting, "Pretty Cure, do your best!"

From within the forest, the Doki Doki Pretty Cure were receiving the power of the Miracle Lights, restoring their stamina and giving them power. "Big brother, do your best!" Candy cried out, and the powers of the Miracle Lights restored the fairies' power, giving them the power to search for their Pretty Cure.

"Mama, Aqua, do your best!" Yui shouted, and from beyond, Asuna and Aqua's bodies started to glow, freeing their weapon arms. Although the rest of her body was immobile, Asuna flexed her hand, then produced her Keyblade and raised it high, along with Aqua's. The tips of their Keyblade glowed brightly and shot beams of light into the air, signaling their location to their friends.

Yui and all of the fairies continued to cheer for their friends, waving the Miracle Lights in the air as all of the Pretty Cure fairies rushed to their individual teams, with the transformation devices in tow. After they all dispersed, there was a moment's silence. Then…

_"Dual Aurora Wave!"_

_"Luminous Shining Stream!"_

_"Dual Spiritual Power!"_

_"Precure Metamorphosis!"_

_"Sky Rose Translate!"_

_"Change! Precure, Beat Up!"_

_"Precure Open My Heart!"_

_"Let's Play! Precure Modulation!"_

_"Precure Soul!"_

_"Precure Smile Charge!"_

Following these calls, five bursting light shot into the sky from the center of the land, where the sunflower was falling towards. The lights started to gather underneath it as all of the Pretty Cure transformed into their Pretty Cure forms. Aqua was carried along with the light, though was not a Pretty Cure. The Doki Doki Precure, Yui and all of the fairies watched as the lights gathered together, then their was a massive explosion as from out of the smoke, the Aqua and the Pretty Cure flew out, joined together as one. The Pretty Cure were free.

"They made it!" cheered Yui, jumping for joy as EnEn and Gureru hopped onto her, cheering as well. Candy and the rest of the fairies all cheered for the Pretty Cure as well. All of their work paid off. From above, Cure Black and White looked towards the fairy school and shouted, "Everyone, thank you!"

"Heads up!" Aqua shouted, and the Pretty Cure turned to see the massive sunflower head falling from above them. They got pulled along with it as they were drove to the ground. However, they all kept their footing, preventing the flower from hitting the ground. "Keep fighting, everyone!" Soul shouted to the group, "All together now! One, two, three!" With the strength of the entire group, and a roar from Cure Black, they sent the flower head flying back up into the sky, inserted into its' spot once more. The darkness in the sky was removed, and it became normal cloudy.

"Those people are…" Cure Heart gasped. "…all Pretty Cure!" "So many of them!" Diamond gasped. "What an unbelievable number!" Rosetta followed. "Looks like we made it in time." Sword sighed in relief.

"Mama! Aqua!" Yui shouted from her position. From the gathered Pretty Cure, Soul, Aqua, and Pretty Cure 5's Cure Aqua looked up to see who was calling them. "It's Yui!" Aqua noticed. "I knew my daughter could do it." Soul smiled.

"Yui? But why is she calling for me?" Cure Aqua asked, getting the two's attention. "She wasn't calling to you, Cure Aqua." Soul told her, waving a hand to her sister, "She was talking about my sister, Aqua." "Isn't that ironic. Two girls in a group like this who's names are 'Aqua'." Aqua chuckled. "That is a bit confusing." Cure Aqua agreed, smiling.

Up a the Doki Doki Pretty Cure's position, a Gray spawn was racing towards the girls. However, Cure Happy jumped to them and punched the spawn, making it disappear. She turned to Cure Heart and asked, "You must be Cure Heart, right?" "You betcha. I'm here, Happy." Heart replied, "I'm here to help you out! Though, I guess you saved me, just now."

Happy smiled as she stepped to the group. "Hey, let's all go to the part together after this." Happy suggested, taking one of Heart's hands. "Sounds great!" Heart agreed, taking Happy's in response. Happy and the Doki Doki Pretty Cure walked to the ledge as Heart said, "Then let's get this over quickly!" With that, they jumped off towards the enemies. The battle between the Pretty Cure and the shadows had just begun.

* * *

**Chapter 6: Awakened Miraculous Power! Cure Navi!**

Cure Black led the charge as she started plowing down Gray's spawns like it was nothing, followed by Cure White's series of strikes that sent some more flying. All of the other Pretty Cure went on ahead, facing off against the spawns, too. Some large pieces of shadow gathered together to form a large, muscular Gray spawn, attempting to defeat the Pretty Cure, but Black deflected his attack, and White threw the monster into the ground like a judo master, destroying it.

Up above, Yui saw a couple more spawns attempting to come up from behind her and the fairies. With her faith renewed thanks to the arrival of the Pretty Cure, she charged in. The two spawns attempted to punch her, but she spun in between the punches, avoiding each of them, then using her 'Fan-Fair' technique, slashed both of them and made them disappear. The fairies were amazed at this resurgence of power.

Gray's shadows that covered the fairy school were used to attack the Pretty Cure, and it gave the chance for Tarte and the fairies to escape. The fairies were gonna get attacked by falling tree limbs and Gray spawns, but the Heartcatch Pretty Cure, Splash Star and Pretty Cure 5 stopped them from happening.

Another large hand was about to attack them, but Aqua used her Barrier Surge to shoot and repel the attack. "Time to do my own transformation." she stated, "_Spellweaver!_" Her body glowed a pink aura, then she spun around as she unleashed a spiraling stream of energy from her Keyblade, repeatedly damaging the large hand until it disappeared.

"Thank you!" thanked one fairy. "Who are you, anyway?" asked another. "My name is Aqua." Aqua replied, "My sister is Cure Soul. It's very nice to meet you." "Aqua?" asked another fairy, "But you don't look like Cure Aqua. She's fighting over there." She was pointing to where the Pretty Cure in question was, shooting down two Gray spawns with her Sapphire Arrow. "No. I'm a Keyblade Master, not a Pretty Cure." Aqua corrected them, then she thought, _Having two Aqua's makes things really difficult to explain…_

Soul was working together with Cure Muse as they avoided the charging attacks from several Gray spawns. "I've had enough of this!" Soul growled, and she jumped into the air. She pulled out her Keyblade and unleashed her 'Quartet Rondo' sending four large Tone Rings encircling around her, trapping several spawns. She then covered herself with a Soul Barrier and ignited the Tone Rings, destroying all of the spawns.

"That was awesome, mama! Keep it up, Aqua!" Yui called out to them. "Pretty Cure, do your best!" shouted EnEn, Gureru and Candy together. Just then, the four noticed a large black hand appear, followed by a large Gray spawn with a stone column in its other hand, holding it like a bat. The three fairies panicked while Yui gathered them up in her arms and took off as the spawn raised the column, ready to swat them.

"_Beat Sonic!_" shouted someone from above, and Yui looked up to see Cure Beat playing a power chord on her Love Guitar Rod, sending a series of violet-colored arrow notes down at the spawn, making it disappear. However, the column was right over their heads, and it was starting to fall on top of them. While Yui rolled away to one side to avoid it, Cure Passion flew out of the blew, and knocked the column clear out.

"Beat! Passion!" Yui greeted them, seeing the two land in front of them. "Yui, are you okay?" Passion asked. "Yeah! Thanks you so much!" Yui replied, bowing to them as the fairies fell out of her arms.

"Hold on…" Beat muttered, seeing Gureru, "Weren't you with that shadow before?" Gureru panicked, and EnEn stumbled in front of him. "U-Uh, please don't be angry!" he told them, "Gureru is reflecting on his actions! So, please…" "It's true. Gureru's doing his best to redeem himself." Yui assured them.

Beat and Passion looked to one another, smiled, and Passion knelt down to the fairies. "If you work it out, then I'm sure you can make your dreams come true." she told them, surprising them. "When you tell everyone your feelings clearly, then I'm sure they will accept them." Beat added, "Don't worry. You can do things over again." "That's true." Yui agreed, stepping right next to Beat, "You are always giving a second chance in life, and a chance to make new friends."

"Take care of yourselves." Passion told them. "Keep them safe, Yui." Beat told her as she and Passion leapt into the sky and into battle again. "Keep fighting, you two!" Yui called out, waving them off.

"Why weren't they angry with me?" Gureru asked. "Because Beat knows where you were getting at more than anyone." Yui responded, "After all, she had done some bad things as well." "That's right! Cure Passion and Cure Beat were once enemies of the Pretty Cure!" EnEn recalled.

"Really?! They were enemies and they still became Pretty Cure?" Gureru asked. "They realized their misdoings after the Pretty Cure and their fairies fought them and opened their hearts to them, and it helped them change." Yui explained. "Their friends did that…" Gureru muttered, seeing how he could relate with Yui and EnEn.

"Oh, no, kuru!" Candy cried, seeing the battle down below. The spawns were breathing out more black mist at the Heartcatch, Fresh and Suite Pretty Cure, attempting to crystalize their bodies once more. "Mama!" Yui cried, seeing Cure Soul among the Pretty Cure, her hands and arms starting to crystalize from the breath.

Yui looked worried as she saw her mother's arms started to turn into crystal, then her expression became serious. "EnEn, Gureru, Candy, I'm going down there!" Yui decided, and she raced down the hill towards the Pretty Cure. "Wait up, Yui!" EnEn cried as he and Gureru ran to catch up with her.

As Yui ran, she thought to herself, _I've been running away too many times while my friends and family have been fighting these things on their own. It's about time I stop running and face the battle head on!_ She skidded down the hill, with EnEn and Gureru at her heels. They tumbled and fell when the got to the bottom. At this point, the fairies of the school were cheering for the Pretty Cure with the Miracle Lights, freeing their limbs from the crystal.

Suddenly, another large Gray spawn landed right behind Yui, EnEn and Gureru, opened its' mouth, charging up a ball of dark-red energy. Yui turned to see it fire off the attack in a beam, and the fairies were in front of Yui. "Look out!" she cried, diving to cover the fairies as they got hit with the impact of the attack.

"Yui!" Aqua cried, who was at the top of the hill with the Splash Star Pretty Cure. Soul, who was tag-teaming with Cure Beat, looked up at her sister's voice, and saw the attack. "Don't tell me…!" Beat gasped. "Yui!" Soul screamed, panicked at her daughter's safety. She rushed towards the attack, with Beat and the others joining her.

Inside the dark beam of energy. EnEn and Gureru were holding on as Yui took most of the impact, shielding the fairies from harm. _I wasn't too late, this time._ Yui thought to herself, _I was still able to protect my friends._

Yui hugged the fairies even harder, doing her best to endure the attack. _I may not be the strongest person, but I still want to help my friends out no matter what_. Yui continued to think, _EnEn…Gureru… The two of you need to keep moving forward for me. I will make sure you stop this shadow, and aid the Pretty Cure. You are my friends, so I will protect you with all that I got!_

As Soul got close, she and the other Pretty Cure saw something. A speck of light shining within the dark beam, which then bursted in a ball of energy, stopping the flow of the attack. The spawn shooting the attack was shocked at this, and shielded its' eyes from the light. EnEn and Gureru were right behind the ball of light, watching it rise into the air. "Yui!" Gureru gasped. "What's happening to her?" EnEn asked. "That looks like…!" Melody gasped, remembering something like this before.

Suddenly, the ball of light dispersed, revealing Yui completely changed. Her hair changed to a navy blue, which elongated into a long side pony tail with one strand spiraling down it, held by a white band and a small blue ribbon. Her dress looked similar to Cure Rosetta's, only it was black with light blue and pink outlined, with a white choker, white, puffy sleeves and arm guards. Her boots were pink and black with blue ribbons on the outsides. Her eyes opened up, revealing a deep blue like her hair.

"_Let my light guide you! Cure Navi!_" Yui shouted, striking a pose.

The team was amazed at the transformation. "Cure Navi?!" Beat gasped. "Yui became a Pretty Cure!" Melody exclaimed happily. "She had just become a Pretty Cure on the spot, like Echo last year!" Tarte recalled. All of the Pretty Cure, including the Doki Doki and Smile Pretty Cure, who were aways from them, fighting another large spawn, saw her in the air, floating back down to the ground.

Yui, now Cure Navi, landed neatly onto her feet, then stared at her hands. "I really did it? Did I really become a Pretty Cure?" she asked herself. "That was amazing!" Gureru cried as he and EnEn ran up to her. "You were finally able to achieve your dream of being a Pretty Cure!" EnEn cheered. Navi looked down at the two, still shocked, but smiled graciously at this. "Yui has a new power now." Aqua stated, happily looking down at her. "You did it, Yui…" Soul started, but she stopped herself, then said, "No…Cure Navi!"

_(Cue Pretty Cure Opening 'Eien no Tomodachi: New Stage 2 version')_

Navi turned determinately at the Gray spawn that attacked them, ready to fight it. "You are only newly minted." it told her, leaping up to attack, "You still can't fight properly yet!" it slammed its' claws at Navi's position, who leapt high to avoid the attack. She got in the face of the shadow, and unleashed a roundhouse kick that sent it flying into the ground. "I've been fighting alongside my friends and family for some time!" Navi warned it, "Don't get too overconfident!"

Navi landed onto the ground, produced her tessen, and quickly came at the Gray spawn, who sat up to see her coming at her, but with no time to retaliate. Navi cried out as she slashed the shadow down the middle with her tessen, making it disappear. Gureru and EnEn cheered as Yui landed onto the ground, looking at her tessen. "My attacks really have improved in this form." she said in amazement.

Down below, Melody, Rhythm, Beat and Soul were facing four more Gray spawns. "Let's do it, team!" Melody told the others. "Right!" they replied, all four of them readying their weapons. They each formed their Tone Ring with their weapons. "_Precure Music Rondo!_" Melody shouted, throwing her orange Tone Ring. "_Precure Music Rondo!_" Rhythm shouted, throwing her yellow Tone Ring. "_Precure Heartful Beat Rock!_" Beat shouted, shooting her green Tone Ring. "_Precure Soulful Beat Rock!_" Soul shouted, shooting off her red Tone Ring.

"Those attacks are straight shot attacks!" one of the Gray spawns stated as the four ducked underneath the rings as they passed over them, "They are easy to dodge!" In the pathway of the Tone Rings, Cure Muse, Aqua, and Navi stepped in front of them. "But they can also be redirected!" Muse responded as the three girls readied themselves.

Muse used her Cure Module with the Fairy Tone Dodori, unleashing a sound wave that reverberated Melody's Tone Ring back the other way. Aqua readied her Keyblade, then with great precision, she scooped up Rhythm's Tone Ring, twirled it around, and threw it right back with great force. "_Gather, my winds!_" Navi chanted, twirling around while gathering pink-energy winds with her tessen, then holding it at the ready, she shouted, "_Navi Whirlwind!_", and unleashed the energy gale, sending Beat and Soul's Tone Rings right back.

All four Tone Rings shot at the Gray spawns, who were too shocked to dodge it again. They got hit with the attack, and the rings ignited on impact, decimating them. "We got em'!" cheered Melody and Rhythm in unison, while Soul and Beat high-fived each other. "Guys, thank you so much!" Soul thanked the trio that assisted on the other side. The trio smiled and gave their own response of approval.

Meanwhile, the large Gray spawn that had been dealing with the Smile and Doki Doki Pretty Cure was struggling against them. After being hit by a storm of March's March Shoot, it fought against Cure Sunny, who ignited her Sunny Fire, knocking it away. It tried to blast her down, but Cure Rosetta used her Rosetta Wall to protect Sunny.

"Let us go, too!" Beauty told Diamond. "All right. Please take the lead." Diamond responded, and the two charged in. "_Precure Beauty Blizzard!_" Beauty shouted, unleashing a stream of snow. "_Sparkle! Twinkle Diamond!_" Diamond shouted, unleashing her crystal stream along with Beauty. The two attacks spiraled together as they hit the Gray spawn, who tried stopping the attack with its' hands.

"Um, maybe we should fight, too?" Peace asked Sword, holding up her peace-signing fingers and pinching them like pincers. "Of course, my senior." Sword replied, going into battle. "Senior?" Peace asked, surprised to be called that, "Okay, then I'll show you how I do it!" Peace joined Sword as the two aided Beauty and Diamond.

"_Flash! Holy Sword!_" Sword shouted, her hand glowing as she shot orchid-colored energy swords from it like flying daggers. "_Precure Peace Thunder!_" Peace shouted, unleashing thunderbolts from her hands, which still showed the peace sign. The two attacks combined with Beauty and Diamond's attacks, making it even harder for the Gray spawn to hold on.

"This can't be happening!" Gray growled, "I should know all of their attacks, so it would be impossible for me to be beaten!" "That's because no textbook will have a way to defeat us!" Beauty replied. "Our teamwork is invincible!" Happy shouted, she and Heart at the ready to fight.

"_Precure Happy Shower!_" Happy shouted, unleashing her heart shape torrent of energy. "_Let my feelings reach you! My Sweet Heart!_" Heart shouted, unleashing a storm of energy from her heart brooch. The two attacks added to the four other Pretty Cure attacks, finally proving too much for the shadow, making him fade. "Oh, there it is! The Doki Doki Smile Miracle Bomber!" Sunny said excitedly. "What kind of name is that?" Rosetta asked, making Sunny blush.

While Cure Blossom and Marine were purifying the field of flowers and taking out the Gray spawns, The Splash Star Pretty Cure and Aqua were at the lake, where the crystal froze most of it over and a bunch of the Gray spawns were. "Let's cleanse this lake of the shadow enveloping it!" Cure Bloom stated as Moop and Foop floated right next to her and Cure Egret. "I'll lend you my powers, too." Aqua added, having her Keyblade ready.

"_Precure Spiral Heart…_" The two started, gathering the liquidized blue and yellow magical energy from their Spiral Rings into a heart shape before shouting "_…Splash!_" and unleashing the stream of energy together into a massive attack.

Aqua concentrated her Keyblade forward, locking onto all of the Gray spawns and the crystalized waters. "Farewell! _Lightbloom!_" Aqua shouted, spinning gracefully like a ballerina as she unleashed a volley of light energy shots from her Keyblade. The two attacks went along the crystalized lake, destroying all of the Gray spawns and shedding the crystal off the lake.

As the two finished their attack, they smiled at one another, then saw the sky turn dark as the light of the sunflower sun was covered in a dark shadow. "The sun's going dark!" shouted the turtle-like fairy teacher. "How can we deal with this?" Aqua pondered. "No need to worry!" Bloom assured Aqua, "The Heartcatch Pretty Cure have the powers of the sun and the moon!"

From out of the woods, shooting into the air, were Cure Sunshine and Cure Moonlight, unleashing their Floral Power Fortissimo towards the sun. They made contact with it for a few seconds before bouncing off of it, and the shadow was removed from the sun, shining down onto the land again. "Alright!" cheered all of the fairies.

"Why do they all get in my way?!" Gray's voice demanded. Then from all around the land, the Gray spawns gathered together in a giant dark cloud, which then took the form of a massive ant/spider like monster with red eyes. It landed in front of the school, where the Doki Doki Pretty Cure and Cure Navi gathered in its' line of fire.

"Get out of my way!" it boomed at the girls, who endured the shockwave of its' voice. "Your selfish ways are bothering everyone!" Heart shouted back. "It's over, Gray! You lost this battle!" Navi barked at it, the girls getting into a fighting stance. Gray gathered all of the dark red energy from its' mouth, then it shot it in a massive blast at the girls. While the Doki Doki Pretty Cure used their energy to put up a shield against their attack, Navi was flung back from the attack, only to be caught by Cure Soul. "Mama!" Navi shouted. Soul smiled at her daughter, nodding reassuringly.

The Doki Doki Pretty Cure were struggling to hold on against the continuous attack, however, Aqua and all of the Pretty Cure gathered together right behind the four, aiding them with their power. "Everyone!" Heart gasped in amazement, seeing all of the help they were gaining.

Navi jumped high over the group, her face determined. "I'll give you all the support I can!" she shouted down to the group. A ball of light appeared in Navi's hand, which morphed with the hand. "_Guiding Lights, lend your strength!_" she chanted, then she drew a large star in front of her, "_Precure Navi Starlight!_" She raised the star above her head, and its' energy rained down onto the Pretty Cure.

They were all encased in a glowing aura of light. "Navi's attack is enhancing our powers!" Heart noticed, feeling the strength in her shield grow stronger. "Okay, then let's use this power to defeat Gray!" Happy declared. The Pretty Cure's combined strength, plus the enhanced energy from the Miracle Lights and Cure Navi made the shield bigger, starting to push against the dark beam Gray was using.

Cure Navi and the Doki Doki Pretty Cure made war cries as they used all their strength to overcome the shadowy monster. "Stop being selfish!" shouted Heart, and with one last burst of energy, the shield became a brilliant light that overwhelmed Gray, making it fade from existence as it cried out in pain. The Pretty Cure finally defeated Gray.

* * *

**Chapter 7: Dreams of the Future**

As the team of Pretty Cure stood there, Cure Navi was floating back down when she saw, from the bushes, the original Gray appear from its' shadows, worn out from its' fight. EnEn and Gureru raced over to the spot while Navi landed next to Heart, and the entire group turned to Gray, who got up and growled at the Pretty Cure.

"I'm awesome! Why don't you understand that?!" it hissed at them. "That's enough." Gureru told his shadow, who turned to him. Everyone watched them expectedly. Navi stepped out of the Pretty Cure crowd, walking towards EnEn and Gureru. "Why should I stop?" Gray asked, "I'm awesome! I can defeat the Pretty Cure!" "I didn't want to defeat them." Gureru replied, "I was just…jealous of them."

He paused for a moment, during which Navi came next to EnEn as they stood behind Gureru. "They're so popular, and everyone relies on them." he continued, "I was completely jealous of them."

"Who cares about everyone?" Gray asked, looking at the fairies of the school, "No one understands you anyway, right?" "That's what I used to think." Gureru replied, "But there were two people who did! Both of them said that I wasn't the bad guy!" EnEn and Navi looked to Gureru, realizing he meant them.

"They have been here with me, and I want to know more about both of them." Gureru continued, "I want to talk with them more, and study in the same school as one of them." He turned to the two behind him. "EnEn, Yui, I want to be your friend." EnEn started to tear up as he sobbed, "Gureru…"

"I kinda understand where you are getting at, Gureru." Navi responded, kneeling down to pick up EnEn, wiping away his tears, "I was sort of jealous of the Pretty Cure, because they always pull through their problems with the power they were given, and I felt like a hinderance, being unable to help."

Navi looked up at the Pretty Cure, and smiled, "But they did need my help. They need everyone's help. They can't fight battles or save people on their own. That's why they have friends along side them, working together to overcome any obstacle. Even as a Pretty Cure now, I still need their help, just like they need my help. And for that to work out, I need friends like EnEn and Gureru, and have our hearts connected to one another."

EnEn and Gureru smiled up at Navi, then turned back to Gray. "She's right. I also want to make new friends, too." Gureru continued, "I want to become friends with everyone at school. I want to laugh, cry, feel that heart-throbbing excitement. I want to find out more about the feelings I never knew I had."

He raised his hand out to Gray as Gureru finished, "You know this, too. After all…you are me." Gray's eyes shifted from anger to understanding. He slowly walked out of the shadows, coming towards Gureru. He raised its' shadowy hand out, touching Gureru's hand. Gureru grabbed ahold of Gray's hand with both of his, and beamed at him. Gray's expression responded in a happy manner as well, and he slowly dissolved away into sparkling lights. The lights went into Gureru's shadow, which came out as a dark crystal orb that rolled out of his shadow, and nestled in the sunlight.

Navi reached out and pulled Gureru into a hug as she stood up with EnEn in her other arm. The trio smiled at one another as Navi's body glowed, and she reverted back to being Yui again. A silver Lovead with a light blue heart appeared in front of them, and with a free hand, Yui caught it, looking at it with curiosity along with EnEn and Gureru. As Yui saw it sparkle from the sun, she knew she would need it again, and the same went for her friends.

Moments later, Gureru, EnEn and Yui were right in front of the entire class, while the other Pretty Cure were right beside them. "U-Um, I'm really sorry, everyone!" Gureru apologized to the fairies, "I know this isn't something I can just apologize for, but I'm really sorry!" "Gureru has been working really hard!" EnEn assured them, "He worked hard to save everyone!"

"We know. We saw him, right?" one of the fairies asked, looking at the rest of the class. "Gureru is so brave!" another fairy stated, "He faced that scary shadow!" "But what about the school?" Gureru asked, looking at the school, seeing all the wreckage Gray did, "It's all messed up because of me."

"Gureru." the turtle fairy teacher spoke up, approaching him and EnEn, "A school is a place for you to study. I'm glad that you learned a lot." "Sensei…" Gureru muttered, amazed at the praise.

"You two fairies were very brave, today." Tarte told the two. "You might even become Pretty Cure fairies in the future." "Really?" EnEn asked. "Even a fairy like me?" Gureru asked.

"I didn't think I'd become a Pretty Cure, too." Cure Heart told them, "So all of you can be partnered with one, too." "Smile and work hard and you'll become happy!" Cure Happy added. "And besides, you might have a candidate partner behind you, already." Soul added, pointing to Yui behind them. The two fairies looked behind at Yui, who looked back at them. "It would be a lot of fun if we were partners!" Yui stated with a smile.

The two beamed up at her, then Gureru looked to EnEn as he proclaimed, "EnEn, I'm gonna become a Pretty Cure fairy!" "Me, too!" EnEn agreed. "Then let's become Pretty Cure fairies together!" Gureru stated. Yui picked them up with both hands. "And I'll do my part to becoming a great Pretty Cure." she told them, "Study hard, and we might end up together as one!" The trio grinned eagerly at the idea. All of the fairies gathered around at Yui's feet as she knelt down, laughing together with EnEn and Gureru, making so many new friends.

"You know, I'm beginning to understand how much you like being with the Pretty Cure, sister." Aqua told Soul, who turned to her, "The light in their hearts and the miracles produced around them are amazing." "I know, right?" Soul agreed, "And it's all thanks to the friends Yui and I made here."

"You're our friend, too, Aqua." Melody added, "You helped out a lot today!" "Though it's gonna be a bit difficult with two Aquas in our team." Marine stated, pondering on how to fix that, "Maybe we should call you Aqua #2!" "That's not a good name!" Blossom told Marine as Cure Aqua giggled in embarrassment. All of the other Pretty Cure laughed at this comedic moment.

All of the Pretty Cure started to help out with rebuilding the outside and inside of the school, from shifting the stone pillars back to their rightful places, to repairing the walls inside the school. Despite the amount of work, the team had a lot of fun working together and fixing up the school back to normal. When that was done, they finally did what they were really called there for; They set up a party table, and they enjoyed the rest of the day eating, talking and partying with one another.


	11. Back in Time? Yui & the Original Chosen!

**Last episode, it was set far into the future, so some people didn't understand that. That last episode was a last minute idea of mine, but go find 'Pretty Cure All Stars New Stage 2' to get what I worked off of. Now for the opposite direction, I take you far back into the past, with three familiar Keyblade wielders that Yui will meet. It doesn't start that way, but it will. Read and enjoy!**

* * *

_(I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Sword Art Online. All I do is form my imagination from both stories, and share it with the world!)_

**Chapter 1: The Mysterious Portal**

_(The story takes place immediately after SAKII Episode 'Realm of Arrival! Long Lost Bonds!')_

As each team returned to their individual Gummi ship, Leafa contacted Kirito's group on the monitor. "By the way, I have something to give to you, guys." Leafa informed them, "It was on our ship, so I didn't have time to give it to you before." "What is it?" Asuna asked. "The Witch Apprentices had these on them, and gave them to us." Leafa explained, "I'll send it over to you, right now."

Moments later, something appeared in the middle of the group. It was a wooden box. "A box?" Sora asked. "It contains something you guys would probably like." Leafa explained, "Open it up!" Kirito bent down to pick up the small box, and opened it. Inside were three balls of light that looked like…

"Soul Drives?!" Asuna gasped as Yui and Donald awed in amazement. "How did those Witch Apprentices get their hands on these?" Kirito asked incredulously. "Who knows?" Leafa replied, "There were five in there before, but Riku and I got two of them. Kairi also gained a Soul Drive from someone at Yusnaan." "Really?!" Sora asked, "So Kairi and Riku can use Soul Drives, now?" "We can!" Kairi replied, popping into the screen, "We don't want you guys to have all the fun." Sora chuckled at this statement.

Suddenly, the three Soul Drives floated into the air, and split themselves apart to each Keyblade wielder. "Guess each of us gets one." Kirito stated, seeing his Soul Drive. "Let's see what we get!" Sora declared. Each Keyblade wielder absorbed their Soul Drive. Asuna glowed a red aura, but a different hue from her Precure Soul. Kirito glowed a silver aura. Sora glowed a golden aura. They closed their eyes, feeling the new connected heart with them, then each unleashed their power.

"_Saiyan Soul!_" Sora shouted, bursting with energy. In a cutscene, Sora tensed up his body as he pumped his muscles, unleashing a burst of energy that instantly changed his clothing. He came flying out of the sky on a nimbus cloud, jumping off of it as it neared the ground, leaving a crater in his wake. "_Ally to good! Nightmare to you!_" Sora declared, punching forward.

"_Genie Soul!_" Asuna shouted, bursting with energy. In a cutscene, Asuna jumped into the air, her arms spread out wide as in a flash of light, her whole attire changed. In the middle of an Arabian port town, Asuna performed a belly dance, making several moves as she did. "_A Guardian's duty is never done!_" Asuna stated, making her final pose, "_Let's dance!_"

"_SOLDIER Soul!_" Kirito shouted, bursting with energy. Kirito body was hit with a blast of green mako energy, transforming his attire completely. Kirito fell from the sky, landing onto a speeding train in the middle of an industrial city. He lifted his head as he opened his eyes. "_I'll protect what I cherish, and that's everything!_" Kirito shouted, rising upright and shouldering his Keyblade behind him.

Sora's attire was composed of an orange training tank-top with a Japanese symbol on the back of it and a small one on the front, a blue short-sleeved shirt underneath, orange baggy pants, a blue belt and wristbands, and blue and golden lined shoes with rope tied at the legging. He still wore his crown pendant around his neck.

Asuna's attire was a mainly red bedlah, with a red arm clothes and golden arm bracelets, red poofy pantlegs, red pointed shoes, gold earrings, a tiara and gold hairband, which tied her hair into a long ponytail.

Kirito's attire was a dark, sleeveless, turtleneck shirt, very dark-indigo pants, a thick silver belt, brown boots, and leather straps that held up his belt and pants. He also wore a black fingerless glove with a red band on his right hand, while his left was a leather gauntlet, a metal band on his wrist, and a pauldron on his left shoulder. He also had a silver earring in his left ear.

"Those all look pretty nice." Leafa stated, seeing the trio look at their attire. "Oh, yeah. I could get use to this." said Kirito, looking at his new attire, "It's strange, but it feels familiar, somehow. Like I know the person who once wore it." "Check it out! I'm floating!" Sora stated, capable of lifting himself off the ground and into the air. "This belly-dancer's attire doesn't feel like a combatant uniform." Asuna stated, looking at her rather revealing attire, "In fact, it's kind of embarrassing."

"Well, I'm sure you guys'll find your use for them." Leafa stated, "We'll be heading back to Saitama now. Take care of yourselves!" And with that, she signed off. "Wait! I forgot to ask what kind of Soul Drives they got." said Sora, looking at the screen.

"I wish I could try out my new Soul Drive." Kirito stated, looking at his attire, "Next time I get a chance, I'm gonna try it out!" "What kind of powers can you use, mama?" Yui asked Asuna. "I dunno. But the Gummi Ship is not a place to try it out." she replied, "However, I seem to know how to belly-dance in this uniform. The moves seem to be implanted in this uniform."

"Then why don't you bust a move and show us?" Kirito asked, in a not so subtle fashion. "Not a chance!" Asuna barked back, and with a quick whip, she struck Kirito's butt with her hair, which became strong enough to act like a whip. Kirito yelped on impact, making the others back off slightly. "Wow, nice shot." Sora stated as Asuna flipped her hair back. "I learn quickly with good motivation." Asuna stated. "Yeah, I'll bet…" Kirito moaned, rubbing his behind.

_(Cue 'Let's Wondering' Opening)_

As the team flew off into space, the trio reverted back to normal, and got back into their seats. "So where to next?" Sora asked Yui. "If we're going along the same pattern, we should be heading to Alabasta Kingdom next." Yui replied, looking at the monitor. "Gawrsh, I can't wait to see Luffy again!" Goofy chuckled. "Just as long as that clumsy oaf doesn't pull and stupid tricks again." Asuna added, recalling all the foolish actions he did the last time they came to his world.

Just then, a small alarm went off in the Gummi ship. "What's happening?" Kirito asked, looking all around. "It seems an anomaly has appeared in our path!" Yui replied, tapping away at the computer, "I'll pull it up on screen." The monitor revealed a silver-glowing vortex on the screen. "It looks like a black hole." Kirito stated. "Except it isn't black." Asuna responded, "Nor is it sucking the light out of the area. What is it?"

Yui tapped away at the computer, analyzing the vortex. "Based on the analysis, it's possibly a cross dimensional portal." Yui answered. With Donald and Goofy looking confused, Asuna said, "Can you describe it to us, please?" "It's an anomaly that happens very rarely, and for a short period of time." Yui explained, "Think of it like a gateway to another dimension, possibly Sora's."

"So it's just a portal that brings us back to my dimension?" Sora asked. "Sort of, but who's to say WHEN you might get back." Yui replied, "Based on these readings, this doesn't just bend space, but time, too." "Meaning not only you don't know where you might be next, but also when you might be." Kirito understood, "Meaning you could end up in the past, or in the far future."

"Either way, we can't let ourselves enter that portal." Asuna warned the team, "Let's find a way around that portal, and continue on our course." "Right!" Donald replied, moving the Gummi ship around it.

Just then, something leaving a red and black trail shot past the Gummi ship, hitting the wings as it dove into the portal. "What was that?!" Kirito asked as the Gummi ship spun out of control. "I don't know, but it got us off course!" Yui cried, bracing herself on her chair. "Look out! We're getting sucked in!" Goofy hollered, noticing the ship drawing closer to the portal.

"Donald, get us outta here!" Sora shouted. "I'm trying!" Donald replied, pulling on the controls, "The Gummi ship isn't working that well!" "The portal is causing disruptions on the controls!" Yui replied. "Here, let me try something!" Kirito replied, going to the secondary computer and tapping away at it.

The hatch above their heads opened up, sucking the team towards the outside. "What did you do, Kirito?!" Asuna cried, holding onto her seat as the vacuum attempted to suck her out. "Don't blame me! I can't stop these disruptions from happening!" Kirito replied, tapping away at the computer while holding himself to his seat. "Seatbelts, everyone!" Sora cried, strapping himself in.

Just then, the Gummi ship joggled some more, dislodging Yui from her seat and sending her flying out of the hatch!" "Yui!" cried Sora, Asuna and Kirito in unison. Yui cried out in fright as she was sent tumbling out of the Gummi ship, being sucked into the vortex. She looked at it, and saw the light it produced. She didn't want to leave her family, but there was nothing she could do. The light blinded her as she shielded her eyes. And then, she lost consciousness.

* * *

**Chapter 2: Radiant Recap**

Yui's mind was slowly coming around, and she started to regain consciousness again. She slowly opened her eyes, and slowly sat up. She found herself in the middle of a central square, where she noticed the gardens around the area. The town itself looked beautiful, with water flowing around the outer rims of central square, and many pathways leading to multiple parts of the town.

"What is this place?" Yui asked, looking about. She stood upright and looked around even more. She then recalled what had happened to her, and realized her parents weren't here. "Mama! Papa! Sora! Where are you?!" she shotted. No reply. "I must've got sucked in by myself…" Yui replied, looking down woefully. How would she be able to get back home?

Just then, someone came walking from one of the streets into view. Yui recognized him. It was Scrooge McDuck, Donald's uncle. "At least I recognize someone here." Yui sighed in relief, "I should probably ask him where I am." Yui raced out of the central area and towards Scrooge.

"Hello there, sir." she greeted him, "Do you happen to know where I am?" "Hello there, young lass." Scrooge replied, "I don't quite understand what you mean by that. Surely you know this town's name, right?" "Well, sir, I'm not from around here, and…" Yui started, but she stopped. Her situation was a bit difficult to explain at the moment.

"Here, let me show you something." Scrooge told Yui, taking off his top hat and holding it close to his beak. As Yui looked at it, Scrooge whispered, "You must be from another world, lass. Apart from me money, I would recognize a face here if I saw it, and I dare say, I've never seen you before." "That's right!" Yui replied, "So can you tell me where I am?" "Why, you're in the City of Light, Radiant Garden." Scrooge answered.

"Radiant Garden?" Yui asked, looking about. She remembered the town back in Sora's world, but it looked nothing like the town she saw before her. "Must've been renovated…" Yui muttered. Scrooge chuckled at her. "I understand you're curiosity there, lass." he said, "After all, this town is quite a sight to behold. It's also very prosperous for someone like me."

"Well, thank you for telling me about this town." Yui thanked him, "Is there any place I might get a chance to know more about this town?" "Hmm…" hummed Scrooge, looking about, "Well, if I had to pick, I'd start at Merlin's house. He's a wise wizard who lives here, and knows a thing or two about this town." "So Merlin's here, too?!" Yui asked, "Maybe he can help me. Thank you so much, sir." "Not a problem, lass." Scrooge replied, "Now, take care of yourself." "I will!" Yui replied, taking off towards the direction Merlin's house was.

The town did have some similarities to the Radiant Garden she knew, but it wasn't as renovated as the town she was in at the moment. She then remembered that the portal might have sent her to a different time period in Radiant Garden. Was this the future of Radiant Garden, or the past? She couldn't tell.

As she ran towards Merlin's house, she passed by an elderly man with a silver goatee and a black and white coat, black boots, and white gloves. As she ran, the man noticed her, and narrowed his eyes. "You there." he said in a gruff voice. Yui stopped and turned to the old man as he approached her.

"Yes, sir?" Yui asked, noticing how uneasy she felt seeing the man. "I have never seen you before." the man stated, "Tell me, what's your name." "Yui, sir." Yui replied. "Yui, eh?" the man asked, "Very well. That's all I needed to ask." And with that, he strolled along his path, walking out of sight. "I wonder what that was about?" Yui asked, puzzled.

Little did she know that the man she met was none other than Master Xehanort, who had stopped when out of view. "A girl with an unusual heart of light." he muttered, "That girl is very different to anyone I've ever met. Most peculiar." He smirked as he continued on his way, devising his next plan.

As Yui walked along through the castle town, she looked to one side, and recognized the little house where Merlin lived at. "Here it is." Yui muttered, stepping forward to the door and wrapping her knuckle on the door. "Hello? Merlin?" Yui called inside, "Merlin the wizard?" No response. "He must be out of his home." Yui muttered, "Well, I can wait."

As she stepped away from the door, she saw someone walking along the same path she was on. He was close to Kirito's age, tall, muscular, with messy, dark brown hair that reached his neck, and blue eyes. His attire was a skin-tight black, high-collared shirt with red cross-straps, a black obi with a gold badge, tan hakama pants and armored shoes. He also had a black wristband on his right arm, while his left had armor pieces on his shoulder and arm. For some reason, Yui felt his presence have a striking resemblance to Kirito's.

As she was about to approach the man, she was stopped by a puff of smoke, and Merlin the wizard appeared. "Oh, why can't I ever seem to remember this address exactly?" he muttered to himself, then he stopped as he saw Yui, "Oh, hello, little girl. Eh, were you here to see me?"

"Uh, yes sir." Yui replied, amazed that Merlin looked exactly the same as she remembered him, "I wish to speak to you in private, if that's okay." "Of course, my dear." Merlin replied, "Please, come inside my home." Merlin led Yui into his house again, while the young man looked to see that Merlin dropped a particular book.

As soon as they entered, Merlin waved his hands, and a teapot with two tea cups floated towards them, with two small cups with sugar and milk. "Would you like some tea, my dear?" Merlin asked. "Thank you, sir." Yui replied, taking a cup as the teapot poured tea into it. Yui took some sugar but no milk. "Now then, what is it you wish to ask me, my dear?" Merlin asked, going to his chalkboard. "It's Yui, sir." Yui corrected him, "And I was wondering…"

Before Yui got to start, there was a knock on the door, and the young man entered the room, holding a book in one hand. "Excuse me, Your Elderness." he said, walking into the house, "I believe you dropped this book." He held out the book to Merlin, and Yui nearly choked on her tea. It was Pooh's Storybook.

"Did I?" Merlin asked, walking over and taking the book, placing it on the white desk, "Ohh, I'm very sad to say this isn't one of mine…" "Are you sure, sir?" Yui asked, walking over to Pooh's Storybook, and noticing the cover of it. It was different to when she last saw it. It didn't have her or Sora depicted on it.

"I'm quite sure, my dear. But what a remarkable book it is." Merlin stated, "This unassuming volume seems to have the unusual effect of awakening one's innermost abilities." "Really?" Yui asked, looking at the book.

"A book that makes people stronger?" the young man muttered, then he looked to Merlin, "If it's all right, Your Elderness, might I have a closer look?" "The name is Merlin!" the wizard corrected him, "I'm a powerful wizard, and I'll have you know a lot of wisdom comes with age." _He's just the same as ever…_ Yui thought to herself.

"Anyway, as I said, the book is not mine, but I'd be happy to keep it for you." Merlin continued. "Thank you, Merlin." thanked the young man. As Merlin went to his chalkboard, Yui and the young man looked at the book. "Are you curious?" he asked Yui. "Sort of." Yui replied, although it's probably because she wanted to know why she and Sora weren't on the cover, "Why don't you open it first?"

Yui stepped out of the way as the young man stepped forward, and opened the book. A sparkling light enveloped him, and he felt it enter his body. Yui could feel the light as well, and it felt warm on her as it caught her, too. The light died down, and Terra closed its' pages.

"That was different from before." Yui muttered. "Before what?" the young man asked. "Oh, nothing." Yui replied, "Anyways, my name is Yui. What's yours?" "Terra." the young man answered her. Yui looked up at him, curiously. Terra. That was the name of one of the original Keyblade wielders. Looking at him curiously as he stepped out, she wondered if this was the same Terra that she learned about. If that was the case, then Yui was more than likely…

"Now then, Yui, my dear. What is it you wanted to ask?" Merlin asked, getting Yui's attention. "I was just wondering if you knew of a way to travel through time?" Yui asked, "I'm just curious, that's all." "Travel through time, eh?" Merlin asked, "And why would you want to do that?" "It's…kinda complicated to explain." Yui replied nervously.

"Well, I can tell, from the looks of it, that you are from a different time period, am I correct?" Merlin asked, surprising Yui. "That's right! But how can you tell?" she asked. "Well, it is just as I told that boy who was here before, a lot of wisdom comes with age." Merlin replied, "But I am curious as to how to came to be here."

Yui begun to tell Merlin about the portal she got flung into, and about how she knew Radiant Garden. "And after everything I noticed, my theory is that I got flung into the past." Yui predicted, "Even so, I would like to find a way back to my own time period."

"Well, I know quite a bit about time and the natural law it holds." Merlin stated, "And as such, I'm afraid I don't hold the power to bring you back to your time." "But you've done it before!" Yui stated, "You sent me and my friends back in time before!" "Back in time, yes. But the future is something I cannot take you from here." Merlin answered. Yui sighed despairingly.

"Is there any way of me getting back home?" Yui asked. "Well, I certainly don't know the answer to that, but I do know someone who tends to get involved with things that should be left alone. His name is Ansem the Wise." "Ansem the Wise?!" Yui gasped, "So even he is here, too! I guess that makes sense, seeing this was his home world. I'll go ask him!"

Yui was rushing to the door when Merlin said, "Hold on a moment!" Yui stopped and turned to him. "While I understand your predicament, there is one fundamental rule you must abide by. You must never tell anyone else you are from the future. If you did, you might change the flow of history, and even that can't be undone so easily." "Got it!" Yui replied, and she exited Merlin's house.

Yui was about to go back the way she came when several Flood and a couple Scrapper Unversed appeared in front of her. "Unversed!" Yui exclaimed, producing her tessen, "But how are they here?!" Then Yui recalled something that gave her the answer. _Could Vanitas be here, too? The Vanitas from the past?_ Yui thought to herself. She got ready to fight the Unversed.

She was thankful for all of her skills and powers she gained from her journey, fighting against the Heartless and Unversed. The monsters now were easy compared to the ones she faced before, even without the other's help. It took a couple minutes to take them out.

As soon as she was done, she noticed another Unversed flying by. It was big and red, flying down the street. "That's a piece of the Trinity Armor!" Yui noticed, "But what's it…" She then saw a young boy appear from the street.

He was about Sora's age, with spiky blonde hair, and blue eyes like Sora's. His slightly unzipped jacket looked like two halves put together; One that was white, and the other that looked like Sora's jacket, and a red collar. He had a gray vest underneath and armor pieces underneath that. His pants were slightly baggy, dark on top, and gray on the leggings. He also had armored shoes and an armor piece on his shoulder. He also had a black-and-white checkered wristband on his left arm.

As he was chasing the Unversed, he was stopped by Merlin opening the door. "Hang it all! Can't I get a moment's peace?!" he exclaimed, walking out. "You two, get inside." the boy told Merlin and Yui, "It's not safe out here!" "Oh, ordering me about; now that's unsafe." Merlin scowled back, "After all, I'm Merlin the Wizard." "Don't worry. I can defend myself." Yui assured the boy.

"Now then, my dear. Why are you still here?" Merlin asked Yui. "Sorry. I had to deal with something at your doorsteps." Yui replied, bowing to him, "Thank you so much for your help. That reminds me, where can I find Ansem the Wise?" "He's at the castle. You can't miss it, after all." Merlin replied. "Thanks." Yui stated, and she took off, leaving the boy watching her leave.

"Oh ho…" Merlin stated, seeing the boy before him, "Another scamp looking to waken the powers inside him, is that it?" "What? How'd you know?" the boy asked. Merlin chuckled at this. "We wizards have a knack for knowing such things." Merlin answered, "The book is inside on the table. You may have a gander, if you like." And with that, Merlin entered his house again. "What book?" the boy asked questionably.

* * *

**Chapter 3: Yui's Aunt**

Yui raced back to the central square of town. Yui looked around, noticing the castle up the long stairs, protected by white gates that were locked tight. "Guess the front way is not the best way to go." Yui muttered, looking about. She noticed a store nearby her, and went to it. She purchased a map of the town with the munny she had on her, and examined it. It was a lot different from the Radiant Garden she knew. However, she did notice that she could reach the castle by going through the gardens.

As she was getting there, she notice someone who was finishing her conversation with Scrooge, looking up at the castle. She was a young woman that looked about Asuna's age, with short, blue hair and lightning-blue eyes. She wore a black and blue, high-collared halter top, with two pink, intersecting belts over her chest with a silver heart-like badge on the intersection, similar to Asuna's. She had white bell-sleeves, tan fingerless gloves, and segmented pieces of armor on her upper arms. She also wore black shorts under her strips of blue cloth similar to Asuna's, black stockings on her legs which reached halfway up her thighs, and silver armored boots that were pointed on the ends.

She ran towards the pathway to the gardens as well, and stopped when Yui raced past her. "I wonder who that was?" she asked, watching Yui leave. She chased right after her into the outer gardens.

Yui hadn't had been there for five seconds until she found herself surrounded by Unversed. "Out of my way!" Yui cried, producing her tessen. As she stood, ready to fight the Unversed, she heard someone shout, "Hold on! I'll help you!" Yui turned to see the same young woman approach her side, and produce the Keyblade, Rainfell. "A Keyblade?!" Yui gasped, seeing the weapon. The young woman looked at Yui curiously, then the two prepared to fight the Unversed.

The gardens were filled with a multitude of Unversed, such as Tank Topplers, Mandrakes, Archravens and such. As it turns out, the woman Yui was fighting with was an expert Keyblade wielder, specializing mainly in magic attacks like Thundara, Blizzara, Magnera and other skills. She even had a Shotlock ability called 'Bubble Blaster', which shot large bubbles at the Unversed she targeted and damaged them.

As soon as the coast was clear, the two placed their weapons away. "Man, those Unversed meant business." Yui sighed, turning to the young woman, "Thanks for helping me out there. I'm Yui, by the way." "Happy to help." she replied, "My name is Aqua." Yui gasped. _Aqua?_ Yui thought to herself, _As in mama's long-lost sister? This is really her?_ Yui did feel the same vibe from her as she did from Asuna.

"Is something the matter?" Aqua asked curiously, seeing Yui's expression. "N-Nothing!" Yui replied, trying to avoid awkward questions, "It's very nice to see a skilled Keyblade wielder like yourself." "How do you know about the Keyblade?" Aqua asked her. "Oh, my mama and papa are Keyblade wielders, too." Yui replied.

"Really? I had no idea!" Aqua replied in an amazed manner, "Where are they?" "They aren't in this world, right now." Yui sighed, "That's why I went to seek guidance from Ansem the Wise, to see if maybe he would know where they were."

"Ansem…the Wise?" Aqua asked, looking up at the castle. "Yes. I just hope I get the chance to meet him." Yui hoped. She turned to Aqua and asked, "By the way, why are you heading to the castle?" "One of my friends are there." Aqua answered, "At least, I hope he's still there." "Then let's go up there, together!" Yui decided. "Sounds good." Aqua replied, smiling at Yui, "Stay close, okay?" And with that, the two wandered up the path to the castle.

They walked up the flight of stairs, finally able to see the front doors of the castle. They had just reached the top of the stairs when they heard a young girl scream, and saw one running away from Flood Unversed. "No! Run!" Aqua shouted. "Keep away from her!" Yui warned the Unversed. One of the Floods nearly attack the little girl, but it avoided her for some reason, giving her a chance to run away next to Aqua and Yui's side.

She was very young, maybe four. She had a white one-piece dress with purple decorations, a white gem pendant, and white slippers. She was also holding a small bouquet of flowers. However, Yui recognized the face, and it surprised her. It was Kairi, or at least, a younger version of her.

As she got close to the two, Kairi looked up at Aqua as she touched the guard of her Keyblade. "I can feel the light." Aqua noticed, looking down at her. _It's really Kairi._ Yui thought to herself, _But I didn't expect to meet her here. Does this mean that Radiant Garden is her home world?_

Yui and Aqua looked to the Unversed as they gathered up in front of them, and more seem to appear as it went on. "There's no way I can fight like this." Aqua noticed, seeing the Unversed. "We have to try." Yui responded, readying her tessen, "We should never give up until our last breath!" Aqua looked down at Yui, then at the Unversed, seeing one of them jump high to attack the girl.

Then out of nowhere, someone appeared with Star Seeker Keyblade at hand. It was King Mickey, only he was wearing a black and silver vest rather than the colorful attire Yui knew. "It's Mickey…" Yui muttered, seeing the hero in front of them.

"Hurry! Ya gotta get that girl to someplace that's safe!" Mickey told Aqua and Yui. "Who are you? Why do you have a Keyblade?" Aqua asked, noticing the weapon. "I'll tell ya later." Mickey replied, "Right now, we gotta stop these things!" "I'll get her to safety!" Yui told the two, grabbing Kairi's hand, "Come with me!" She led Kairi away as Aqua and Mickey stood there, watching the two go. "Let's get em'!" Mickey declared. "Right!" Aqua answered, her Keyblade at the ready.

Yui found a spot in a patch of flowers that hid her from view. "Stay here, and don't move until those monsters are gone." Yui warned Kairi. Kairi nodded in response, and Yui stood up and turned to join Aqua and Mickey in battle. She dashed in as Aqua used her Blizzara to blast away an Unversed. Yui produced her tessen and unleashed her Fan-Fair technique, destroying two Floods at once.

The trio fought against the waves of Unversed, while at the same time, making sure none of them would get at Kairi. Yui could clearly see that Mickey was less of an expert as he was in the future. Nevertheless, he was able to hold his own against the Unversed, just like Yui and Aqua were.

Yui then noticed Aqua's new skill; the Style Change, which allowed her to be surrounded in an aura that granted her increased strength, powers and new combo attacks. The one Yui witnessed Aqua perform was the 'Spell Weaver', using the power of light and magic to attack her opponents. After a while, the team cleared the area of Unversed.

As soon as everything was clear, Yui escorted Kairi back to their party as Aqua walked up to Mickey. "Thank you." she thanked the mouse, "My name is Aqua. I train under Master Eraqus." "And I'm Mickey." the King introduced himself, "I used to be Yen Sid's apprentice. I came back to him for some more training." "My name is Yui." Yui greeted Mickey, "My mama and papa are Keyblade wielders, just like you two."

"I sense light within this girl." Aqua noticed, looking at Kairi, "You think that's why they attacked her?" "Yep, I think ya might be absolutely right." Mickey agreed, "If ya ask me, she must be somebody pretty extraordinary." "I know she is." Yui seconded, "This girl's a pretty special person."

"Yes. I'm quite certain she's someone we're supposed to protect." Aqua stated. "Let's join forces!" Mickey suggested, raising his hand to the two girls. "Sure! It'll be fun." Yui agreed, about to meet Mickey's hand with hers.

Just then, something glowed in Mickey's pocket, surprising the mouse. "Oh no, not now!" Mickey yelped, seeing the light. The light grew bigger, enveloping Mickey as Yui, Kairi and Aqua shielded themselves from the light. "I'll be okay." Mickey replied, then turning into a shooting star as he spiraled upwards into the air, leaving a trail behind him, "See ya real soon!" The three girls watched Mickey leave, perplexed at the sudden moment.

Kairi looked back to Yui and Aqua, and held up two small bouquets of flowers. "Here!" she said, drawing her attention to what she had. "Are those for us?" Aqua asked kindly. Kairi nodded in response. "I picked both of you some flowers." Kairi explained, "Thank you for saving me." Aqua and Yui both took the flowers given to them. "Oh, they're lovely. You're so sweet." Aqua responded. "Thank you so much. I'll take good care of them." Yui thanked the little girl, who giggled in response.

"My name's Kairi. Nice to meet you!" Kairi greeted the two. "Nice to meet you, too." Aqua replied, "I'm Aqua." "And I'm Yui." Yui added. "Kairi, about that light…" Aqua started, but then was stopped by someone calling out for Kairi at the stairs, and the three turned to see an elderly woman there. "Oh! Grandma!" Kairi noticed. _So that's Kairi's grandmother._ Yui realized.

"Wait, Kairi, just a minute…" Aqua stopped Kairi, and she placed two fingers onto Kairi's pendant, making it glow for a few seconds before removing her hand. "I just cast a magic spell on you." Aqua told Kairi, "One day, when you're in trouble, the light within you will lead you to the light of another. Someone to keep you safe." "Thanks!" Kairi thanked her, and she rushed over to her grandmother. She turned around and said goodbye to Aqua and Yui before she and her grandmother walked away.

"I get it. So that's how…" Yui understood, realizing how Kairi met Sora and Riku. "Hm?" Aqua looked to Yui questionably. "Oh, nothing." Yui replied. The two watched as Kairi walked off with her grandmother, who was telling a story about how the worlds were born, and how the light will always guide them out of the deepest of darkness.

"Aqua, do you think you can cast that spell on me, so that I might be able to find my mama and papa?" Yui asked. "It doesn't work that way." Aqua answered her, making Yui depressed, "But don't worry. I'm sure you'll be able to find them yourself. The light in your heart will guide you back to them." "The light in my heart?" Yui asked, looking down and touching her heart. Aqua nodded.

"Your heart is filled with light too, Yui." Aqua assured her, "And I'm sure that your belief to see your parents again will guide you back to them." Yui looked down, thinking. That was what Mistress Gretinal said about her before, that she had a special heart. And it was thanks to Kirito and Asuna that she was able to have such a heart. "You and Kairi…" Aqua muttered, getting Yui's attention, "Something tells me I didn't run into either one of you by accident." Yui looked puzzled at first, then smiled. She felt the same about them.

Just then, the two bouquets that Yui and Aqua had shined, transforming into the same Keyblade keychain. It was a red, silken keychain with the token being a star that resembled a Paopu fruit from the Destiny Islands.

The two looked at their keychains, amazed. "This is the keychain for the Destiny's Embrace Keyblade." Yui analyzed, "But how come I got one, too? I don't use a Keyblade." "Maybe it chose you for a reason." Aqua suggested. Yui paused as she looked at it, then said, "I'll keep it safe, and give it to mama when I find her again." She pocketed the keychain while Aqua decided to switch out her Rainfell Keyblade for it. It was just the same as the older Kairi's Keyblade, but with a longer shaft.

The two ladies walked over to the top of the stairs, noticing Kairi was gone. As the looked down, they heard something, and turned to see an Unversed flying through the air using its' helicopter blades. "Unversed!" Aqua noticed, "It never ends." "That's another piece of the Trinity Armor!" Yui gasped, "I had already seen another one, but a boy with blonde, spiky hair was already chasing it down." "A boy with blonde, spiky hair?" Aqua questioned, then she gasped, "Ven! He must be here!"

"We'd better got and chase it down!" Yui decided. "No, Yui. You stay here." Aqua told her, "I'll fight it. It's what I'm here to do!" she raced down to the bottom of the staircase, and through the gates to the gardens. Yui paused as she watched Aqua leave. She looked back at the castle, where Ansem the Wise was suppose to be at. She looked back and forth before deciding to pursue after Aqua. Getting back home would have to wait. Her aunt was the one needing some help.

* * *

**Chapter 4: United! Vs. Trinity Armor!**

Yui dashed down the steps, and saw Aqua racing towards a pair of iron doors that were broken apart, forced open by the Trinity Armor piece. Yui raced towards the doors, dealing with a few Unversed as she did so. She went through the doors, and saw Aqua racing to the reactor of the town. Yui chased after her, seeing her meet up with Terra and the spiky-haired boy named Ven.

"Ven!" Terra and Aqua gasped. "Terra! Aqua!" Ven replied. "Wait up!" Yui cried, drawing their attention. "Her again…" Terra noticed. "Yui, what are you doing?" Aqua asked, "I told you to stay behind." "I know. But my heart told me to help you out, so that's what I'm doing!" Yui decided. Aqua and Terra looked surprised, but Ven smiled, understanding her feelings.

Just then, the three pieces of the Trinity Armor got the group's attention, and they produced their weapons. They watched at the three pieces converged together, forming the Trinity Armor.

"Watch out. This thing specializes in long range capabilities, but its' close range is still pretty dangerous." Yui warned the team. "How do you know that?" Terra asked. "Because my mama and papa fought one of these before." Yui answered, "However, its' flaw is that each piece can be taken out individually. That's the key of defeating its' arms and legs first."

Just then, more Unversed appeared on the outer rims of the battle field, ready to fight as well. "More of them!" Terra growled, looking about. "Was this a trap?" Ven asked. "I don't know, but we have to work together to beat them all!" Aqua declared, ready to fight, "Let's do it!" "Right!" Ven, Terra and Yui answered, ready to fight as well.

The outer rim Unversed were composed of Scrappers and Mandrakes, which made things difficult for the four as the main target, the Trinity Armor, was a tough target on its' own. However, each fighter brought their own skill to the match.

While Aqua was mainly a magic fighter, Terra was a brute force fighter like Kirito, with his strong physical strength and techniques such as the Stun Edge, Quick Blitz, Sliding Dash and Zero Gravira. Meanwhile, Ven specialized in quick and aerial attacks, using skills like the Quick Blitz, Aerora, Strike Raid, and Sliding Dash.

All of them also had Shotlock attacks, which consisted of Ven' Flame Salvo and Terra's Sonic Shadow. Not only that, but each of them also had a Finisher that was slightly different compared to Kirito, Asuna and Sora's, but they were still strong.

Aqua's Finisher was the 'Magic Pulse', which sent two orbs of magic energy spiraling upwards around Aqua that caused the minor Unversed to be confused or frozen. Terra's Finisher was 'Rising Rock', which consisted of a combo of attacks, ending with a shockwave and rock debris. Ven' Finisher was the 'Air Flair' which was a combo of attacks with wind slashes, ending with a spinning finish.

_So these are the original Keyblade wielders…_ Yui thought to herself, seeing just how strong each of them were, _They're incredible! They fight so much like mama, papa and Sora._ She then remembered Kirito and Asuna relationship to Terra and Aqua. _I wonder if this means Sora has a connection with Ventus?_ Yui thought to herself, _They seem so much alike…_

"Yui, look out!" Terra shouted, and Yui turned and got hit by the arms of the Trinity Armor, who broke into its' three components and spun around the area. Terra caught Yui as she flew, placed her neatly back on the ground, then charged at the arms, taking revenge for hurting Yui. He slashed it several times, then unleashed his Sonic Blade technique, destroying the arms.

"Great job, Terra!" Yui cheered for him and he finished his attack. He turned and nodded to Yui, who nodded back, then turned to face the legs, which Ven was dealing with. He shot Aerora at the legs, which retaliated by bouncing at him, creating shockwaves that damaged him.

"I gotcha!" Yui cried, racing to Ven, "Switch out!" Ventus looked back at Yui as she dashed towards his component. "Hold on, Yui!" Terra called out, but she didn't listen. The legs were about to land on top of her, but Yui performed her spin dodge technique she learned from Miu, barreling right between the legs. She came out the other end as the torso and legs came together again. "Here I come…" Yui muttered, her body glowing pink. "What…?" Ven started as Aqua and Terra saw her glow.

Yui then floated into the air, sustaining by the gathering winds around her, which started to catch fire. She was enveloped in them, and suddenly her clothes turned into the simple white dress she wore as a Mental Health Counseling Program. Her fan turned into a long, flaming sword, which she grasped the handle in one hand. She circled it over her head, then grasped it with both hands. "_Program: Delete_!" Yui shouted, and she slammed the sword to the ground, unleashing a surge of energy that cracked along the ground. The attack passed by Ventus and struck the Trinity Armor's legs, obliterating it. Yui reverted back to normal as she floated back to the ground once more.

The three Keyblade wielders were amazed at the attack. "That was incredible!" Ven gasped. "How did she do that?" Terra asked. "I'll tell you once we deal with that!" Yui shouted, seeing the torso spinning around and shooting fireballs every which-way. The group scattered, doing their best avoiding the attacks.

Yui got close enough that she unleashed a Whirlwind that spun in the opposite direction of the torso, making it stop spinning and stunned from the cancelation. "Finish it off!" Yui shouted, backing off as the three Keyblade wielders charged in from all sides.

"Terra!" Aqua shouted. "Ven! Now!" Terra told his friend, and all three of them jumped into the air. Aqua came down first with a slash right down the middle. Terra and Ven followed through with a cross slash. They all moved away as the Unversed fumbled in the air, then came crashing down, fading away into a black vapor.

"Got 'im." Terra stated as he and Aqua gathered towards Ven and Yui. "We make a great team." Aqua stated. "Sure do." Ven agreed, then looking to Yui, he added, "Thanks so much for helping us out back there." "No problem." Yui replied, "I was happy to help. I'm Yui, by the way." "I'm Ventus. But call me Ven." Ven greeted her.

"Yui, what was that move you used before." Aqua asked, "I've never seen anything like it." "Oh, that?" Yui questioned, "That was a Finisher I'm able to pull off. You can say it's like those Finish moves you guys did, only different." "It was pretty powerful." Terra stated, "Something I didn't expect from someone as young as you." Yui giggled at this.

"Oh yeah! I got you these tickets." Ven remembered, pulling out three tickets from his pocket. "For what?" Terra asked. "Lifetime passes to Disney Town." Ven answered, handing two of them to Terra and Aqua, "He said to…" He then scowled as he continued, "He said to take two grown-ups." "You mean us?" Aqua asked in a confused manner. Terra laughed at this, followed by Aqua and Yui.

Once they were done laughing, Aqua said, "Listen to me, Ven. We need to get you home…" "It's okay, Aqua." Ven assured her, "Trust me, that guy in the mask is history. He'll never bad-mouth Terra again." _A guy in a mask?_ Yui pondered, _I wonder…_

"You saw the boy in the mask?" Terra asked seriously, grabbing Ven's shoulder. "Y-Yes…" he stammered back. Terra looked to one side and muttered, "Vanitas…" _I knew it!_ Yui thought to herself, _This is the Vanitas of this time._

"Ven. You let Aqua take you home." Terra told Ven. "No way." Ven denied, "I wanna go with you guys." "You can't. We have a dangerous task ahead of us. I don't want you to get hurt."

"And what is this dangerous task, Terra?" Aqua asked him, "It doesn't sound like what the Master told you to do." "It might be a different route, but I'm fighting the darkness." Terra answered. Yui was pretty confused at their conversation, looking from Terra to Aqua. "I'm not so sure." Aqua responded, "I've been to the same worlds as you and I've seen what you've done. You shouldn't put yourself so close to the darkness."

"Listen to yourself, Aqua." Ven snapped, "Terra would never…" "You mean you've been spying on me?" Terra asked abruptly, "Is that what he said to do? The Master's orders?" "He was only…" Aqua started, but she stopped, not sure how to finish that. "Aqua…" Ven said in a disappointed manner.

"I get it." Terra muttered, turning away and walking off. "Terra!" Ven shouted, about to pursue him. "Just stay put!" Terra barked, stopping Ven, "I'm on my own now, all right?" Terra continued to walk away. "Terra! Please, listen!" Aqua cried, "The Master has no reason to distrust you, really! He was just worried." Terra ignored these words.

Yui dashed in front of Ven and Aqua, looking to each individual. "You shouldn't leave things like this!" Yui cried out to Terra, "You guys are suppose to be friends, right? I'm sure you all made some mistakes, but still… Terra, you can't be angry at Aqua for this! She was looking out for you!" Terra paused as he neared the doors, thinking on these words, then he continued on his path, exiting the reactor. Yui looked down and sighed.

"You're awful, Aqua." Ven told Aqua. "Not you, too!" Yui said as she turned to Ven. She then noticed a blue Wayfinder in Aqua's hands, and noticed Aqua tighten her grip on it. "So now you know the truth." Aqua told Ven, "But the Master loves Terra, and you know that too."

"Were you also 'ordered' to take me home?" Ven asked. Aqua didn't answer that, but the expression she showed already gave the answer. "Aqua… Now that you're a Keyblade Master, you've let it go to your head." Ven scolded her, "I'm gonna go find Terra." And with that, Ven took off, passing by Yui as he chased after Terra.

There was a pause between the two, then Yui spoke. "Aqua, from what I understood, you were following your Master's orders." Yui understood, "But you let those duties overshadow your friendship." Aqua looked up at Yui, who had her back to her. "Sometimes, you have to fight the system in order to be true to yourself AND your friends." Yui continued, "After all, I did it, too."

Yui closed her eyes for a second, then she opened them. "I'm gonna go find Terra and Ven." she decided, "You need to sort things out." Yui was about to race off when Aqua said, "Hold on! You don't need to go out of your way to help us when you're already looking for your parents." "I can't do that." Yui replied, "I look out for people who's hearts are in trouble, and I do anything in my power to help fix that. It's who I am." Yui raced off after Terra and Ven, leaving Aqua standing there, watching her leave.

* * *

**Chapter 5: Rewriting the Past**

Yui raced off into the aqueducts, searching for Terra and Ven. "Terra! Ven!" she cried out. No answer. She continued on her path, and after a while, found herself at the central square of Radiant Garden.

Yui looked around, and noticed Scrooge McDuck again. She ran up to him and asked him if he knew two boys with Terra and Ven's characteristics. Scrooge answered that while he gave the tickets to Disney Town to Ven, he did just see a boy fitting Terra's description going into the southern tunnels. After reading the map, Yui followed the path to the tunnels.

Upon reaching the entryway, she ran towards the outer gardens and heard the sounds of a battle happening within the Purification Facility underneath. She raced towards the doorway into the facility.

Upon reaching that place, she saw from a distance, Terra fighting a man with arrowguns. A man that looked strangely familiar to Yui. _Is that… Xigbar?_ Yui thought, seeing the man, _Sure looks like him. Maybe this is before he became a Nobody._

Yui looked at the area, watching Terra fight with this man, then noticed, from a higher place, the same old man she met before bounded by chains to one of the large pipes. "That man!" Yui mumbled, "He's being held hostage!" Yui looked to Terra's battle with Xigbar's Somebody, Braig, then quietly tried to reach the old man.

Just as she was about to climb a pipe up to him, a few dark arrow nearly struck her, and she fell off the pipe. Braig noticed her attempting to climb the pipe. "That's not nice." he told Yui, "You shouldn't try to play the hero, little girl." "Yui!" Terra shouted to her, "What are you doing?!" The old man, Xehanort, looked down at Yui, who got to her feet again, moaning.

"Now, where were we?" Braig asked Terra, shooting at him. Terra avoided his attack, then unleashed a Stun Edge to knock him off balance before unleashing his 'Sonic Shadow' Shotlock, heavily damaging him.

As Braig stood their, panting from exhaustion, Terra floated into the air, surrounded by a dark aura. Yui and Xehanort watched him with shock and amazement, respectively. Terra fired a missile of dark energy from his Keyblade, striking Braig in the eye and making him fall over.

Terra fired another missile, passing over the shocked Braig and hitting the chains Xehanort was bound too, freeing him. "He used dark energy!" Yui gasped, fearful at the display. Braig got to his feet, but was in pain from the attack he got from Terra's dark attack. He jumped back and ran away from the battle.

"Terra!" Yui cried, racing over to Terra, who still had his Keyblade raised, stunned at what he had done. "This power…" Terra said in a dazed manner. "That was the power of darkness!" Yui told him, "Why did you use it? You know that's dangerous!" Terra's arm shook a bit as he saw the dark sparks emanating from the tip of his Keyblade.

"Well done, Terra." the old man commended Terra, walking towards him and Yui, "You have taken yet another step forward." "But I was consumed by anger…hatred." Terra responded, "That was the power of darkness."

"He's right! What kind of 'step forward' are you talking about?" Yui demanded, "And for that matter, who are you?" "This is Master Xehanort." Terra introduced him as he approached the two. Yui was even more shocked than before, seeing the old man looking at her. _That man…is Xehanort?! As in Ansem the Wise's apprentice, and the Somebody of the leader of Organization XIII?!_ Yui thought to herself.

"Why are you so afraid of the darkness, my dear?" Xehanort asked, seeing Yui shudder at the sight of her. "There's nothing to be scared of. After all Terra, you channeled that darkness." "No…" Terra muttered, "I succumbed to it. Just like when I stole Princess Aurora's heart of light." "P-Princess Aurora?" Yui stammered, recognizing the name as one of the Princess of Hearts.

"I can never return home now." Terra said in despair, "I'm a failure." "Then don't." Xehanort responded, "You could be my pupil." Yui looked shocked at these words. Terra just looked surprised. "Master Eraqus, you see, is so afraid of darkness, that he too, has succumbed; not to darkness, but to light. It shines so bright, he forgets that light begets darkness. And Aqua and Ventus, their lights shine too bright. And the same goes for you, little girl." He turned to Yui, who took a few steps back from him. "It is only natural that they cast shadows on your heart."

"What's so wrong about the power of light?" Yui asked, trying to act brave, but still shuddering. "Nothing is wrong with it." Xehanort answered, "However, what you don't see is the powers that darkness can give you. Powers that Terra has." "But you make it sound like he shouldn't be with his friends!" Yui barked at him, "Ven and Aqua…they both care for Terra! Don't interfere with their friendship like you are, now!" "Yui…" Terra muttered.

"I'm not trying to interfere with anything." Xehanort assured her, "But Eraqus, he is such a fool! Light and darkness, they are a balance; one that most always be maintained. Terra…you are the one who shows the true Mark of Mastery, but he refuses to see it."

Yui watched Terra, then looked at the back of Xehanort. This man was manipulating Terra, turning him into his pawn. According to what Gretinal said, Xehanort was the one who snatched Terra's heart and body. He was gonna turn Terra's darkness against him.

Yui looked to Terra opening her mouth and closing it. Why was she having such difficulty speaking. If she told Xehanort's plans now, she could have a good chance at stopping him from taking Terra's body and ruining the lives of Ventus and Aqua. She could save the three original Keyblade wielders. She could prevent the Heartless and Nobodies from appearing. She could change the future.

Yui couldn't bear to watch Terra being manipulated by Xehanort as he continued to talk to him, so she turned and ran away from them. Terra turned to watch her leave. "Let the girl go." Xehanort told Terra, "Her heart is so filled with light, that she cannot bear listening to to truth. Besides, she is too young to understand." Terra watched as she exited the facility, wondering about her.

Yui stepped back into the outer gardens again, and sat down onto a bench, thinking. Why was she so hesitant on telling Terra the truth about Xehanort? Why was she so scared about changing the future, when it would be a brighter place. She thought about what her parents would think of her actions. How would Kirito and Asuna handle this? How could Sora, Donald and Goofy deal with this?

Then it occurred to Yui; if she changed the future, that meant that Kirito wouldn't have Terra's soul inside of him. He would be a different person to what he was before. Not only that, but without the involvement of the Heartless and Nobodies, they wouldn't have met Sora, Donald, Goofy and the rest of the gang. None of that would ever happen.

Yui suddenly felt she was being selfish. She wanted to keep having her friends and family, but she also wanted to make the future bright. She was confused as to what was more important.

Meanwhile, Aqua had made her way to the central square. She had just reached the center when she saw a man in a black mask and a red and black organic suit walking by, stopping when he saw her. She stopped in her tracks when she saw him. "A mask!" she noticed, "You're the one that Ventus mentioned."

"Ah yes, Ventus." Vanitas responded dully, "Tell me something, has he learned to put up a decent fight yet?" "What do you mean?" Aqua asked him. "I'll be asking the questions." Vanitas snapped back, "And why shouldn't I? After all, between the two of us…" Vanitas produced his Void Gear Keyblade, "…I'm the only one who will walk away from here, alive." "Guess again!" Aqua barked back, readying her own Keyblade as well, about to fight Vanitas. Up in the rooftops, someone else was watching their fight, too.

Back at the outer gardens, Yui was still at the seat. She looked up to see Xehanort exit the facility, looking to Yui for a second before continuing on his way. Moments later, she saw Terra exit the facility, and she stood up to meet him. "Terra." Yui greeted him, "Are you doing okay?" "I'm fine." Terra answered, "You?" "I…I'm not sure." Yui replied, "It's just…" She couldn't say what she was truly feeling deep down, because that would also tell Terra she was from the future.

Terra rubbed Yui's head, and she looked up at him. "Don't worry about it." Terra assured her, "I guess we have our own different paths. I need to search out my answers, right now. And hopefully, I can come to a conclusion on using the power of darkness."

Yui looked hesitant as she fumbled for the right words to say. "Terra, don't succumb to the darkness again!" Yui warned him, "I'm afraid of it taking over you." "Don't worry. I promise you I won't." Terra assured her, standing up and walking away. Although he was trying to assure Yui, she still had the other problem on her mind; whether to change the future or not.

"Terra!" shouted a voice, and the two looked up to see Ven racing towards them. "Ven." Yui muttered, seeing him stop in front of Terra. "Take me with you." Ven asked him. "I can't do that, Ven." Terra answered, making Van sad. "Why not?" he asked him. "I just…" Terra started, then he looked to him and said, "When I really need you, Ven, I know you'll be there."

Ven looked back and grinned, his mood brightened by this. The grin definitely reminded Yui of Sora. "Well, why wouldn't I?" Ven questioned, "You're my friend." Terra thought about those words, looking to Yui and remembering her words. _"Ven and Aqua…they both care for Terra! Don't interfere with their friendship like you are, now!"_ "Yeah…" Terra understood, "You're right. Thanks, Ven."

Terra tapped the armor on his shoulder, and he was surrounded by a bright light. Next thing, he was in an armor that was familiar to Yui. It was the same as the Lingering Will she and her friends and family fought so long ago, except without the cape. Terra walked away from Ven, transformed his Keyblade into its' Glider form, and took off through a portal, disappearing from the world.

Yui walked over to Ven as he turned to her. "You think he'll be okay?" Yui asked him. "I'm sure he'll be fine." Ven replied, "Terra knows what he is doing. Besides, he said that I would be there for him if he needs me." He looked at the point Terra disappeared at, while Yui looked down, already knowing the fate Terra had in store.

Ven looked back at Yui, then noticed the expression. "Is something wrong, Yui?" he asked. "I'll be okay." Yui replied, though in a depressed manner. "C'mon! You can tell me. We're friends now." Ven assured her. Yui looked up at Ven, getting the same feeling off of him as Sora again. She looked down, thinking.

"Ven, if you had the power to change the future for the better, but you would have to lose the friends you would gain, would you do that?" Yui asked. "Huh?" said a confused Ven. "If you could do something that could rewrite history, however, it would also mean that the events where you would meet new people or change your life, would you be able to feel better about yourself?" Yui asked, trying not to imply what she meant by that.

Ven had to ponder on that. Then, he replied, "I don't know what gave you that kind of question, but if I had to choose, I'd just let things stay the same." Yui looked up at him, surprised. "Even when there's trouble with it?" she asked. "It's because of those troubles that you got to meet new friends, right?" Ven asked, "If those friends are that important to you, then the future wouldn't be as bright without them, right?"

Yui looked down, thinking again. Ven was right. She had so much fun with Sora, Donald, Goofy and the rest of the friends she made. And even if she changed the future right now, Xehanort would still try to find ways of causing trouble. He was that kind of man. And who's to say the future was written in stone, too? The future can still be bright. All she had to do was believe in the friends she gained, and know that if they worked together, they would make the future a better one.

Yui smiled as she looked up again. "You're right, Ven. Thanks." Yui thanked him, "Sorry for the weird question. But it was something I needed to know." "Happy to help." Ven replied, "After all, that's what friends do." Yui nodded in response. "Let's go find Aqua." Yui suggested, "I know she was a bit cruel, but you guys are still friends. You should make up." Ven agreed, and they took off back the way they came together.

* * *

**Chapter 6: Unexpected Battle! I Won't Change the Future!**

Back at the central square, Aqua had just beaten Vanitas, who was on his back. She panted heavily, then walked over to Vanitas, and reached out a hand to his mask. "Who are you?" she asked, touching his visor. Vanitas then chuckled unexpectedly, surprising Aqua and making her jump back as Vanitas rose to his feet.

"Not bad at all." Vanitas commended her as a black portal opened up behind him, "Congratulations. I'll keep you around. Never hurts to have a backup." And with that, Vanitas walked through the portal and disappeared, leaving Aqua standing there, wondering what he meant. "I have to stop him, before anything else happens to Terra and Ven." she told herself.

"Aqua!" shouted two voices, and Aqua looked up to see Yui and Ven racing to her from the southern tunnels. "Ven. Yui." she greeted them as they stopped in front of her, "Were you two able to find him?" "Yeah, but… He's gone." Ven answered. "But he did say he will fight the darkness, and not succumb to it." Yui assured her, "And I'm sure he'll be okay. After all, he has you guys by his side, right?"

Aqua smiled at Yui, but she was still worried about Terra. "Right." she agreed with Yui statement half-heartedly, "Then I can't stay here." "Let me go with you, Aqua." Ven told her. "Me, too!" Yui added. "Sorry, Yui, but you can't come with me." Aqua told her, "And Ven, do as I say and go home."

Yui and Ven looked at one another, worried. "Why won't you let me?" Ven asked. "I don't want to put either one of you in harm's way." Aqua told them, taking each one of their shoulders, "You understand?" This didn't help each of their moods.

"Keep treating them like kids, and they'll never grow up." said a voice from above. The trio looked to see a person on the nearest rooftops. It was Vanitas, but his face was uncovered. "The guy in the mask!" Ven gasped, "But he's not wearing a mask anymore!" "Vanitas!" Yui growled. "But how? I just took care of you!" Aqua stated.

"What you 'took care of' was a past version of myself." Vanitas answered, jumping down to the ground aways from the trio, "I'm a different one from the Vanitas you fought." "What do you mean?" Aqua questioned. Yui, however, understood what he meant. "You… You're the Vanitas I know!" she barked, getting looks from Ven and Aqua.

"I'm surprised to actually see you here, kid." Vanitas told Yui, "I thought for sure I left you back in the future." "Back in the future?" Ven asked. "Yui, what is he talking about?" Aqua asked her. Yui paused, wondering if she should answer. As things stand out, she had no choice. "This Vanitas is from the far future…" she explained, "…And the same goes for me." Ven and Aqua gasped in surprise. "Yes. Twelve years into the future, to be exact." Vanitas added, "It's kinda fun walking down memory lane, don't you think?"

"But I don't understand; how did you two get here?" Aqua asked, looking from Yui to Vanitas. "Let me explain it to you." Vanitas answered, "There are rifts within time and space that open up. Rifts that only open when there's a disturbance between two dimensions. Such as when an entire world travels to a different dimension." Yui gasped, realizing she meant Disney Castle.

"The rifts can appear at any time, and only last for an hour or two." Vanitas explained, pacing to one side, "And these rifts can send you either to the past, present or future. So having the opportunity to going to the past would be a great benefit for me."

"So, that black comet…" Yui realized, recalling the object that hit the Gummi ship before entering the portal, "That was you?!" "I had to give you my farewell before I rewrote the past." Vanitas told Yui, "Of course, I didn't expect to see you follow me, let alone have you come here alone." "Well, because of that 'farewell', you separated me from my family and friends!" Yui barked at him.

"What part of the past are you trying to change?" Aqua demanded, still looking a bit confused at the whole situation. "I'm glad you asked." Vanitas answered, "At first, I thought of increasing the amount of Unversed in the worlds, just to make things more interesting. But then I had a thought; I could eliminate the one person that caused so much trouble to me and my Master." He raised a finger and pointed at Aqua. "It's as my past self said; I'm the only one who will walk away from here, alive, Aqua."

"That won't happen!" Yui barked as she and Ven produced their weapons, getting in front of Aqua. "I may not know what Aqua's gonna do in the future, but I won't let you defeat her!" Ven declared. "Ven…Yui…" Aqua muttered, looking to the two of them, then she looked sternly at Vanitas as she produced her Keyblade. The trio were about to duke it out with Vanitas.

Yui charged in first to attack, her tessen at the ready, but Vanitas dashed at her and slashed at her, and sent her flying with a somersault slash. "Yui!" Ven cried as Aqua dashed at him, unleashing her Blizzara spell at him. He sidestepped the attack, then unleashed a Dark Thundaga that shocked Aqua and sent her to the ground. She was still exhausted from her fight with the first Vanitas. "_Heal!_" Ven shouted, healing her up with a Cura spell.

"I've got twelve years of experience over you." Vanitas taunted as Yui and Aqua got to their feet again, "Face it, you don't have what it takes to beat me." "Except between this era and mine, you were unconscious when you came to our dimension." Yui reminded him, turning to Aqua and Ven, "Don't listen to him! As far as you can see, he is just as strong as your current Vanitas."

"We'll just see about that, kid!" Vanitas snarled, firing off a fireball that turned into three homing ones. Yui used her Whirlwind technique and caught the fireballs in her twister, sending them back at Vanitas, who used an afterimage to avoid it. He reappeared above Yui, attempting to slash down upon her, but Aqua used her Barrier Surge technique to dash to Yui and block the attack. Ven spiraled down onto Vanitas with his back-handed slash, but Vanitas countered his slash with one of his own.

Vanitas dove into the ground, and the trio backed away, wondering who he was targeting. Yui noticed the ground beneath Aqua being disturbed, and used her Whirlwind again, this time aiming at Aqua. She was surprised at this as she was flung high into the air. Vanitas shot out of the ground, but was to far beneath Aqua to reach her.

"Ven, go!" Yui cried. Ven targeted Vanitas with his 'Flame Salvo' Shotlock, unleashing a barrage of fireballs, which Vanitas attempted to block with his Keyblade, but was hit constantly by it. Then to add more power to it, Ven encased himself in a large fireball, unleashing even more fireballs at him.

Aqua landed onto the ground again, and the trio watched through the smoke as Vanitas flipped onto his feet again, brushing off his arms. "Man, I almost forgot how weak you were." he told Ven, surprising him, "You can't even hold a candle to the future Keyblade wielders." "Shut up!" Ven shouted, racing at him again, with Aqua and Yui racing along side him.

The battle continued between the trio and Vanitas, who unleashed everything he had at them, from his skills in close quarters combat, to his eruption attacks, Flame Burst, his Afterimage counter and jumping techniques. He was definitely stronger than the three individually, so they had to work together in order to fight him off. Not only that, but he was mainly targeting Aqua with his attacks, putting Ven and Yui on mainly defense for her.

After a while, Vanitas was tiring the three fighters, while he still had plenty of energy to work with. He shot at Aqua, but Yui stepped in his path, using her Fan-Fair combo to counter and damage Vanitas, knocking him back. Aqua then fired her Fira while Ven used his Aerora, which combined together and blasted Vanitas back further.

"Time I perform a new trick!" Ven declared. "Let's go!" Aqua followed. The two entered their new Command Styles; Ven entered into Cyclone style while Aqua entered Blade Charge style. Ven's body was encased in a glowing, windy aura, while Aqua's body glowed while aura encased itself around her Keyblade, extending it to over twice its' length.

Vanitas snarled as he charged forward, while Ven flew in with his newfound speeds. His attacks became even faster and stronger, unleashing a four-hit combo in a blink of an eye. Aqua then followed through with a three-hit combo that, although from a distance, she struck hard and strong, damaging Vanitas even more. The two Keyblade wielders' Command Styles were completely overwhelming him.

"That's enough!" Vanitas shouted, and he unleashed a series of fireballs, which split into multiple homing fireballs. They rained down onto the three fighter. While Yui shielded herself as the fireballs exploded all around her, Ven unleashed his Finisher, encasing himself in a diamond-shaped aura and spinning like a top towards Vanitas, while Aqua's aura turned bright orchid and she extended her Keyblade's aura further, spinning it like a helicopter blade to shield herself and Yui from the remaining fireballs. Ven struck Vanitas with his finisher attack, knocking him out of the sky and down to the ground below. Ven and Aqua landed onto the ground as well, in front of where Vanitas laid. Yui was on one knee, injured from some of the fireballs.

For a while, Vanitas didn't move. Then he got to his feet quickly and slashed both Ven and Aqua. Ven was sent flying towards the other end of the central square while Aqua tumbled across the ground, landing face-first next to Yui, her Keyblade flat on the ground. "Aqua! Ven!" Yui cried, looking at where the two landed.

Vanitas chuckled, drawing Yui's attention. He walked over to where Yui and Aqua were, who raised her head. "It's over." he told them, "I'll put an end to this, right now." Yui looked to Aqua, who was unable to move. Yui struggled to stand up, but she managed to do so, stepping in front of Aqua, her tessen at the ready. Vanitas stopped, eyeing her with interest. "Yui, run…" Aqua moaned.

"There is something that has peaked my interest about you…" Vanitas told Yui, "You could've stopped this whole fight before, by defeating my former master. You could've warned the Keyblade wielders about who was responsible for the creation of Heartless and Nobodies in our future, not to mention a whole sleuth of villains you and your friends had to deal with. You could've put an end to all of that, right? So why didn't you?"

Yui panted a few times before replying, "Because…the future wouldn't be the same, would it? I could stop the darkness from spreading, but the chain of events that happened from it wouldn't come about. My family and friends wouldn't be who they are, nor would they even meet. And besides, even if I tried to stop him now, there are other darknesses that would take his place. But the events that followed wouldn't be the same."

"So you would let things go the way they are?" Vanitas taunted, "You won't stop the darkness just for the sake of a few people?" "Because my family and friends are the hope of the future!" Yui snapped back, "All of us have fought against every form of darkness and evil that have been set upon us, and still triumphed over it all. And who says the future is darkness? The way I see it, it's full of light, and hope. And that's why…" Yui raised her tessen, gathering the winds, "…I refuse to change the future!"

Yui unleashed a Whirlwind, which grew stronger with her conviction. Vanitas endured the attack, and dove underneath the ground. Yui raced over to Aqua, picking her up around the shoulder and leaping away from the ground Vanitas shot out of, sending fireballs everywhere. The two girls stumbled and fell to the ground, with Aqua starting to get some of her strength back. Yui was more determined than ever, the pain she was feeling disappearing with her fears.

"If you won't change the future, then I will!" Vanitas declared, racing at Yui and Aqua. "Look out!" Ven shouted, slowly rising to his feet, but unable to reach them. Yui saw Vanitas raise his Keyblade, targeting Aqua for a finishing blow. Yui then did something that no one expected, not even Yui herself: Her hand instinctively reached out to Aqua's Keyblade, which she still held, grasp the handle, then in a flash, swiped at Vanitas with a diagonal upper slash.

Nothing moved for a few seconds. Then Vanitas felt the pain from the attack, and fell backwards, his Keyblade clattering to the ground. Ven and Aqua were amazed as they looked at Yui, who had the Keyblade raised, her posture had not moved from the slash.

"Yui…" Aqua whispered. Yui then blinked, and noticed the Keyblade she was carrying. She became flustered at this, turning to Aqua. "I'm sorry!" Yui apologized, "I didn't know what I was doing. I just reached out without thinking and…" She wasn't sure how to explain herself.

Yui handed the Keyblade back in both hands. "Here." she said, giving it back to Aqua. Aqua took the Keyblade, looking up at Yui, who looked nervous, thinking she would be scolded for taking her Keyblade, her eyes shut. Aqua was still surprised at Yui's actions, but she smiled as she rose to her feet and patted Yui's head. "Thank you for saving me, Yui." said Aqua, "You handled the Keyblade quite well." Yui opened her eyes, looking up at Aqua, who nodded reassuringly. It was then that Yui smiled, pleased that she was okay with it. She managed to help stop Vanitas, and save the original Keyblade wielders.

* * *

**Chapter 7: A Past Forgotten**

Ven walked over next to Yui and Aqua, who looked to Vanitas. "Is he finished?" Ven asked. "No." Yui answered, "It'll take more than that to defeat Vanitas." Sure enough, Vanitas' body shifted as he rose into a sitting position, causing the trio to jump back, ready to fight. However, Yui's last blow did some serious damage to him, so he wasn't able to stand at the moment.

He looked up at the trio of fighters, particularly at Yui, then he chuckled. "Looks like the future did change after all…" he muttered. Yui, Aqua and Ven looked at him, puzzled. "Well, this was something I would have never expected to happen here." Vanitas continued, "But it looks like you beat me in time."

Just then, Vanitas' body started to glow a bright aura, and so did Yui's. Ven, Aqua and Yui were all surprised at this. "What's happening?" Yui asked, looking at her hands, "Why is my body glowing?" "The rift is closing up on the other side." Vanitas answered, "That means those who were sent into the rift must go back to their own time. And because of this, all of the memories involving the two of us here will be wiped away from everyone's minds, including our own."

The three heroes looked surprised at this. "We…will forget we ever met?" Ven asked, "But that's not fair!" Yui closed her eyes, thinking. She then smiled as she turned to Aqua and Ven. "Don't worry. We won't forget one another." she assured them, "Someone once told me something he learned; 'Even if our memories disappear, our adventures together will never disappear from our hearts.' Our hearts are still connected, so we will still remember one another, just not in the usual fashion."

Aqua and Ven looked to one another, chuckled, then turned back to Yui, smiling. "You're right. We're still connected." Aqua agreed. "Yeah, cause we're all friends!" Ven added, "You, me, Aqua and Terra." Yui nodded at his understanding. "Jeez, you guys are so full of it." Vanitas scoffed, "I'll be glad to forget this moment. And in a bright flash, he disappeared into specs of light, which floated into the sky and disappeared.

Yui, Ven and Aqua watched the lights fade, then something came to Aqua's mind. "Hey, Yui. You still didn't say who your parents' names were." she reminded her, "If it's okay, can you tell me now?" Yui looked to Aqua, wondering, then she smiled. "I guess it's fine, since you will forget it. Actually, you know one of them, already." Aqua looked puzzled at this. Yui beamed as she said, "Their names are Kirito and Asuna. They're my mama and papa."

"Kirito…and Asuna." Ven echoed back, "Those are weird names." "Asuna…" Aqua repeated, shocked, "You mean…" Yui nodded, and the ghostly image of Asuna appeared right behind Yui from Aqua's view, who smiled as well. Aqua gasped at the sight, tears forming in her eyes as she witnessed this. All this time, She was with her sister's daughter, and she had no idea. And to think her sister was still okay, and a Keyblade wielder, too. She couldn't believe it…

_(Flashback)_ Inside a baby girl's room, the door opened, and an eleven-year old Aqua entered the room, wearing a dark blue, v-neck blouse, a pair of white shorts, dark blue stockings and tan slippers. She was carrying something in her hand as she walked over to the cradle, where the month-old baby Asuna was at. Her eyes were closed, but she opened them at the sign of Aqua hovering over her cradle.

"Look at this, Asuna." said Aqua, revealing what was in her hand; a white Wayfinder, "Mama made this for us. It's called a Wayfinder." Asuna smiled as she reached out to the charm with her tiny hands.

"Mama placed a spell on it, which she said will keep us together if you were in any trouble." Aqua explained, "I added my own spell, engraved on the back of it." She flipped it over to reveal the words on it. "It say 'may it keep Asuna safe'." Aqua read. "I wish I could use real magic, but this will do for now."

Aqua turned away from the cradle, looking up at the chandelier in the room. "You know, I still find your name weird." Aqua stated, "I mean, daddy wanted your name to be like my name, having a reference to water. He wanted your name to be 'Tsunami'. But mama wanted our first letters to be the same, too, and 'Atsunami' was even weirder. That's why they shortened your name to just 'Asuna'." Aqua giggled as she continued to think. "I guess it's not all that bad of a name, when you think about it."

Aqua turned back to Asuna, who giggled as she looked up at the Wayfinder. "I promise you, as my duty as your older sister, I will always protect you." Aqua told her, dangling the Wayfinder just enough to have Asuna clasp it between her two hands.

Several days later, an unusual storm appeared in their town. It appeared so suddenly when Aqua was taking Asuna out on a stroll. The stroller flew off into the sky above, which was turning into a large vortex, sucking stuff through it. Aqua was holding the crying Asuna in her arms, the white Wayfinder dangling from the baby's neck. Aqua was enduring the storm as she used a free hand to hold onto the wall, keeping herself to the ground.

"What's with this freaky storm?!" Aqua demanded, "Everything is being pulled into the sky!" She squinted through the wind blowing in her face, seeing the path ahead. "Don't worry, Asuna!" she assured the baby, "I'll keep you safe!" Asuna continued to cry, afraid of everything around them.

Far behind Aqua's position, a white-gloved hand of someone's raised forward, and a large gust shot towards the young girl. It sent her flying forward, nearly carried by the updraft of the winds. She grabbed ahold of a tree, but she lost her grip on Asuna, who got carried up into the vortex. "Asuna!" Aqua cried out, reaching out to the baby being blown away from her.

Aqua leapt off the tree, carrying along with the wind as she flew to Asuna. They swirled through the air, nearing the vortex. Aqua was tossed all over the place, but she kept her eyes on Asuna, trying to get closer and closer to her. Aqua was reaching out to her as Asuna reached the center of the vortex of clouds, and disappeared. "Asuna! I'm coming!" Aqua cried, racing to her little sister.

Just then, a hand reached out and grabbed Aqua by the scruff of her collar, pulling her back. She turned and saw Master Eraqus holding her back, looking up at her. "You can't go there!" he told Aqua, "This isn't any ordinary storm!" "But my sister…!" Aqua started. "I'm sorry, but she's already crossed over." Eraqus apologized, shaking his head, then looking at the vortex, "I have to seal the vortex before any more lives are taken."

Eraqus produced his Keyblade, and raised it towards the vortex. On the other side, drifting in space, Gretinal had her Keyblade raised towards the vortex, and directed it at the vortex as well. Both Keyblades glowed and shot chains of light at the vortex, sealing it up and stopping the storm.

Gretinal sighed as she lowered her Keyblade. "That was far too dangerous." she muttered, "I should never have let that grow into that. I should've sealed it long ago." She then saw Asuna in the sky, crying as she floated there. Gretinal gasped, then waved her Keyblade and directed it at the baby. It became encased in a light blue aura, protecting her from atmosphere.

"O' child of light, forgive me for my curiosity, for I have caused you to be separated from your family." Gretinal told the baby, "While I cannot send you back to which you came, I can send you to a different land instead, where your destiny can be forged." She waved her Keyblade like a baton, and Asuna became encased in a ball of light, which shot through the sky. "Go forth! Find the light of another, and may your heart continue to shine brightly until you and your family can be reunited again!" Gretinal shouted, watching the light shoot across the sky like a comet, disappearing from view.

Back in the other dimension, Aqua was on the ground, crying into her hands, with Eraqus right behind her. "Asuna, I'm sorry!" she apologized, "I tried to protect you, but I couldn't save you! Please, come back, Asuna!" She continued to bawl while she continued to apologize.

"I'm sorry that I couldn't save her, either." Eraqus added, "But I'm sure she is still alive." Aqua slowed her crying, turning around with tear-strained eyes. "You see, another person like me was on the other side of that vortex." Eraqus explained, crouching down to Aqua, "And I'm sure she saved your little sister. She will give her a safe home."

"But I want to have my sister back." Aqua sobbed, turning back into her hands again, "If only I could go where she went. If only…" Eraqus paused, thinking, then he said, "There might be a way of doing that." Aqua looked up, surprised. "What is your name, young girl?" Eraqus asked. "A-Aqua." Aqua sniffled.

"Well then, Aqua. I can see you have a great gift inside of you, and a noble heart to go with it." Eraqus told her, "If you want, I can train you to wield a special weapon called the 'Keyblade'. It has the power to cross the lanes between worlds." "Between…worlds?" Aqua echoed.

"Yes. And in one of those worlds, your sister is probably waiting for you." Eraqus assured her, "However, only those who have mastered the Keyblade can be allowed to do that." Aqua looked down, thinking about what he had said.

"So…if I can master this Keyblade, I can find my sister?" Aqua asked. "Yes." Eraqus answered, "My son, Terra, is also training to be one of them. You can join him as one of my pupils. I'm sure he will accept you, and so will I." Aqua wiped away her tears with her arm, and turned to Eraqus. "Okay, I'll do it." she said, turning to the master, "I'll become a Keyblade Master so I can find my sister, again." _(Flashback ends)_

Aqua looked at Yui as her body started to fade away. Yui gave one last smile before her whole body disappeared into glittering lights. The whole town flashed brightly, and everything was still.

Ven blinked, looking about. "What…just happened?" Ven asked, "I could've sworn we were doing something. He looked to Aqua, and was surprised to see the tears in her eyes. "Aqua, what's wrong?" he asked. Aqua looked at Ven quizzically, then she felt the tears in her eyes. "What? Where did these come from?" she asked, wiping them away.

"C'mon, Aqua. You're suppose to be a Keyblade Master." Ven told her, "What's making you cry?" Aqua shook her head, not sure. However, somewhere in her heart, she started to think of Asuna again. She looked to the sky, thinking. _I wonder if I'll find you again, Asuna?_ Aqua thought to herself, _I hope you are still safe out there…_

Back in the present time, the Gummi ship of the heroes was aways from the portal, but it sustained some damages that Donald and Goofy were taking care of, with the help of Chip and Dale on the monitor.

"Hurry up, you guys!" Kirito told them, "We need to go save Yui!" "But we don't if you might even make it to the same place as Yui!" Chip warned him. "I don't care!" Kirito barked back, "I won't just stand here and wait! I'm going to go in!" "I'm coming with you!" Sora added.

The two were about to reach for the button to open the hatch when Donald and Goofy grabbed them. "Wait! You can't go out there!" Donald squawked. "He's right." Goofy agreed, "I wanna save Yui, too. But we can't just jump into that portal without thinkin'." Meanwhile, Asuna was watching the vortex from the window, her eyes welding up in tears. "Yui, come back…" she mumbled, hoping to see her.

Just then, the vortex grew smaller before their very eyes. All five of them were shocked at this. The portal then disappeared, and there floated Yui, unconscious. Vanitas was nowhere to be seen. "Yui!" Sora shouted. "Quick! Get 'er aboard!" Goofy told Donald as he got to the controls. The Gummi ship flew to Yui and picked her up.

Kirito and Asuna brought Yui into her seat, and looked at her hopefully. "Yui, wake up!" Asuna begged. "Please, Yui. Open your eyes!" Kirito demanded, shaking her slightly. Yui's face flinched, then her eyelids start to move as she opened her eyes to the relieved crew. "You're safe!" Sora cheered as Donald and Goofy whooped for joy. Asuna hugged Yui as Kirito stood back, smiling that his daughter was safe.

Yui raised herself on her seat, rubbing her eyes. "What…happened to me?" Yui asked. "You went into that weird vortex." Kirito explained, looking out the window, "It's long gone, now." "Did you know what happened in there?" Asuna asked. Yui pondered, but she shook her head. "I'm not sure. I remember going in there, but then, my input circuit was shut off." "So you passed out." Kirito understood, "Did anything else happen inside that vortex?" Yui shook her head, not having any idea of what had happened.

"Well, what matters is that she's okay." said Sora, "As long as she's okay, we don't need to sweat the rest of the details, right?" Everyone looked at Sora in an amused manner. "As always, you're easy-going, no matter what." Asuna stated. "Still, he's right." said Kirito, "Yui's okay, so why worry about it? We'd need to keep moving to the next world, anyway. Gretinal is counting on us."

"Yui, are you okay to pilot?" Donald asked her. Yui nodded. "I'm okay." she answered, "Let's get moving!" Everyone go into their positions, and the Gummi ship took off to the next world. As they flew, Yui could've sworn something did happen inside the vortex, although she wasn't sure. And unknown to her, or anyone else, buried deep inside her pocket was the Destiny's Embrace Keyblade keychain, glittering a bit, not even noticed by anyone, but it would play a role in the near future.

* * *

**Author: Phew! I enjoyed writing that! Yui met so many old and new faces, and might gain a certain power in the future. And how did you guys like my spin on how Asuna got her name? Pretty funny, don't ya think? **

**Asuna: placing an 'A' in 'Tsunami', and removing a few letters? Yeah, real original...**

**Sora: Hey, what about the next world for 'Sword Art Kingdom: Falling Fantasy'? I'm anxious to know!**

**Author: Right. Well, since Yui is small and dressed mostly in pink, I figured doing a world surrounding another character that is small and pink, too. I'm talking about...**

**Dreamland (Kirby Triple Deluxe version)**

**Asuna: Well, we are in a 'Falling Fantasy', so being in 'Dreamland' sounds pretty ironic.**

**Kirito: I dunno. Working with an 8 inch tall character? That sounds funny.**

**Author: Hey, you'll end up fine, somehow. I'll add my own twist to the storyline here and there, but either way, that's gonna be the next world! As always, leave a review, tell your friends, and be sure to wait for the next episodes!**


	12. Prologue of the Heroes! How it All Began

**Sorry it has been too long! I had a lack of writing, then a flu, school and family problems, ect. But now I am back, and with a rarin' new, or rather, renovated old episode for you. The next episodes are gonna be Prologues into SAKI &amp; SAKII. This one is for SAKI, with a recreated version of the first episode of the series. Hope you like it!**

* * *

_(I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Sword Art Online. All I do is form my imagination from both stories, and share it with the world!)_

**Author's Notes**

_After the events of 'Sword Art Online II', I decided to look at the official timeline of SAO. After researching it, I created this episode, and changed the following info on SAK to make it more connected to the timeline of SAO:_

_1\. According to SAK ep. 1, it had been over a year since Sugou Nobuyuki's defeat. Sugou's actual defeat in ALO during the Fairy Dance arc happened on January 22, 2025. But according to SAK ep. 2, When Olette talked about summer homework, Kirito and Asuna claimed it was early spring in their world. As such, I decided to change the actual date on when the episode starts, in mid-April 2026, which is a little over a week since Yuuki Konno's funeral._

_2\. According to SAK ep. 2, Kirito said that Aincrad was cleared up to the 72nd floor. However, according to SAO timeline, floor 29 had already been cleared February 2026. So for now, I'm saying Aincrad had been cleared up to floor 32._

_3\. According to SAK ep. 1 &amp; ep. 20, the 'Kingdom Hearts' quest in Aincrad was suppose to be on the 57th floor. However, following the last change, I decided to change that to floor 25 instead._

_4\. According to SAK ep. 20, the team met Agil, Liz, Silica and Pina in Agil's shop on floor 50. While that's the correct area in the original Aincrad arc of SAO, Aincrad in ALO is, as I said before, not that far up yet. Instead, the team will meet the SAO group in Kirito &amp; Asuna's log cabin on floor 22._

_5\. According to SAK ep. 1, Asuna's family supposedly moved closer to where Kirito lives. That part is removed._

_5\. Due to understanding the new Sword Skills in SAOII, along with some rules, Dual-Wielding will not happen in ep. 1. Instead, it will have the elemental Sword Skills, along with Kirito's 'Skill Connect' non-system skill._

_6\. This might make some people disappointed, but due to the timeline of SAK, I'm gonna dismiss the Alicization arc from the storyline. The story is extensive, and Alicization hasn't finished yet. So for my story, this is the alternative storyline._

_Apart from those, the storyline of SAK remains the same. Because of this, this story not only shows the beginnings before SAK, but also remakes the first episode before it. I will minus out the 'Dive into the Heart' part, since that will not change at all. I hope that my readers will understand, or for the SAO fans out there, be relieved of the changes to make things a little more sensible. Anyways, enjoy the prologue to the story!_

* * *

**4/14/2026**

_(6:30 AM)_ Kirito was inside one of the dungeons of SAO, fighting against a horde of monsters on his own, defeating them left and right. He unleashed his Sword Skills to eliminate the last set, then sighed in relief. He closed his eyes, about ready to call it quits when he detected something.

Kirito looked up to see something appear from the ground. At first, it looked like a shadow, but then it popped out of the ground, revealing an insect-like creature that was bent over on two feet, with claws and antennas. It was pitch black, except for the eyes, which were a glowing yellow. "What is that thing?" Kirito demanded, seeing more of them starting to appear from the ground.

Kirito had his Elucidator ready, about to fight off against the monsters. He charged in and slashed at one of them, but it only phased right through it, not doing any damage. "What?!" Kirito gasped, and he angrily slashed it several times more, but to no avail. These monsters weren't normal. They did not have life bars like other monsters did, nor were they in the monster's listings. Whatever they were, they weren't normal.

Two of them flung at Kirito, and he squinted as he parried them back with his sword. When he got a better view, he was shocked to see hundreds of the same dark creature in front of him. Kirito panicked and ran away, and the creatures pursued, like a dark tidal wave with glowing eyes. Kirito turned to see them coming closer. He wasn't able to outrun them. They came over him, and he got swallowed up by the sea of monsters, feeling himself being dragged into the darkness.

Kazuto then snapped his eyes open and sat up, panting heavily. He was in his bed, drenched in sweat. He slowly looked around at his room, then sighed assuringly. "It was only a dream…" he muttered.

"Papa?" called out Yui's voice. Kazuto looked to his laptop on his desk. The screen showed Yui inside his room, using the camera and microphone he planted within to created a pseudo-3D environment for Yui to be inside his room **(Author note: Same tech Kazuto used for Yui near the end of SAOII Ep. 17)**.

"Are you okay, papa?" Yui asked, flying to Kazuto's side. "Yeah…" Kazuto lied, looking at the screen and seeing where Yui was at. "You've been having nightmares again, haven't you?" Yui asked, "I could tell when you're face tightens like you're in pain, and you start to precipitate."

Kazuto looked to his shoulder, where Yui was at, then smiled. "You've certainly learned to read me well." he told Yui, "Then again, you were a Mental Health Counseling Program…" "I was going off what my program is saying about the indications of a nightmare." Yui replied, "I'm not sure how human dreams or nightmares work, so I can't experience it any other way."

Kazuto stood up, making Yui fly off of him, then walked over to his mirror, looking at himself. His face was still a little sweaty, and his hair was limp. "You've been having nightmares like this a lot this month." Yui noticed. "Yeah, and they've been all about the same thing." Kazuto added, "Fortunately, this one was the only one that didn't have anyone else in it."

He thought back to some previous nightmares, which had Asuna, Suguha and his friends all disappearing before his eyes. Kazuto then shook his head of such things, then looked over to his laptop. "I'm gonna go wash my face off before Sugu notices." he told Yui, "I'll be back, okay?" "Alright, papa." Yui replied as Kazuto exited his room.

Yui flew back onto the desk, thinking. "I wonder if I should tell mama about this." she asked herself, "Ever since the third nightmare, papa has been more on his own in ALO than before." Yui pondered on what would be the logical thing to do.

Outside, Suguha was doing her morning kendo practice, swinging her shinai as she stepped forward and back. She had just stopped when Kazuto walked out of the house to go wash his face. "Oh, hey, Sugu." he greeted her. "Hey, Kazuto." Suguha replied, "You just woke up?" "Yeah, I had to take care of some homework due tomorrow." Kazuto explained, going to the washpan.

Suguha looked to see Kazuto's face, and noticed the sweat. "What happened to you?" she asked, "You looked like you dunked your face in a pool." "I woke up like this." Kazuto answered, turning on the faucet, "Must've sweat a lot in my sleep." "Maybe it's because of all that black clothing you wear." Suguha said amusingly, "I mean, black does absorb heat. I learned that from my science class recently." "Yeah, maybe you're right." Kazuto chuckled, scooping in some of the water and splashing it on his face.

Suguha watched Kazuto removing the sweat, thinking. Kazuto usually wasn't drenched in sweat like this in the morning, and during this month, he has had sometimes come down with sweat on his face. It was as if he was having a nightmare. However, she also knew how private he was about his own problems, so she didn't want to press him.

"Anyways, I'll go get breakfast ready." Kazuto told his sister. "Okay, I'll put my equipment away and help out." Suguha replied, "Hey Kazuto, can we have a duel with one another?" "Sure. Where at; IRL or ALFheim?" Kazuto asked. "ALFheim. I can go all out there than I can here." Suguha answered.

"Okay, we'll duel this afternoon." Kazuto finished, wiping his face and hair with a towel, "I want to do something this morning before we fight." "Sure, whenever you're ready, just text me." Suguha answered as Kazuto entered inside to prepare breakfast for the two of them.

* * *

_(8:15 AM)_ Meanwhile, in the Yuuki mansion, Asuna had just finished her breakfast and was returning to her room. Her time with her mother and father have improved somewhat since her encounter with Yuuki. It has been about a week since her funeral. She still felt depressed since her death, but she tried to not let that get to her much.

There was one other thing she was thinking about as she walked up the stairs to her room again. Kirito had started to become a bit more distant, lately. Whenever she saw him, he had a look like he felt something bad was gonna happen. _Maybe I should talk to him when we see each other in ALO._ Asuna thought to herself, _It would be nice if he explained to me his problems right now._

Asuna entered her room and turned on the news station on her computer as she went to her mirror, examining her hair. _"In other news, the police are still baffled at the recent breakout in the Saitama Prison."_ the female newscaster explained, _"In the breakout, four officials and three inmates were killed, and three remain at large, including former chief of RECT Progress, Sugou Nobuyuki…"_

Asuna stopped her preening as she looked at her concerned face in the mirror. Sugou Nobuyuki. Over a year ago, he was once Asuna's fiancé, until he decided to kidnap her mind when Kirito cleared Sword Art Online. After all the things he had done to her, she became afraid of him. And since the news of his escape, she had begun to worry he might come for her or Kirito.

Asuna looked at her reflection for a second, seeing the frightened glance she was giving herself. She then shook her head, refocusing herself. She was in safe hands now. She wasn't trapped online anymore, and Sugou didn't have the power to control her anymore. She had Kirito and all her friends protecting her. She was okay.

"I'd better go online and finish my homework." Asuna told herself, "I'm almost done, anyway." Asuna finished her preening of her hair, then walked over to her bed, grabbed the Amusphere, and placed it onto her head. She booted up ALFheim Online, and waited for the Amusphere to fully activate before she shouted, _"Link Start!"_ Her mind entered into the world of ALFheim.

* * *

_(8:30 AM)_ Undine Asuna reappeared in her home in Aincrad; the log cabin on floor 22. She went to one side of the room, pulled up the menu, and changed her attire. _"It took Kirito and I forever to recreate, but we finally did it…"_ Asuna thought to herself, looking through the inventory and taking out the necessary equipment.

When she finally finished, Asuna looked at herself in the full-body mirror, seeing herself in the old Knights of the Blood Oath uniform she wore in SAO. She looked from side to side, examining herself. "Hmm…the hair does throw off the look." Asuna muttered, lifting up her light-blue hair, "I should go and change my hair color. After that, the only thing that'll be out of place would be my pointy ears." She giggled at the idea.

Just then, Kirito logged into the log cabin, and Asuna turned to him. Kirito had already changed his attire to its' SAO form as well, the same Beater outfit he wore when he ended the game. He even managed to regain the Dark Repulser again thanks to Liz, but wasn't able to find the Elucidator just yet. However, he was planning to change that today.

"Hey there, Asuna." Kirito greeted her as Yui popped out of Kirito's pocket and flew to Asuna, "I see you got here before me." "Hello, Kirito." Asuna greeted him, holding out her hands to Yui as she landed into them, "I just arrived a few minutes ago. I also changed into my old attire. What do you think?" "Looks great." Kirito answered, "Though, the blue hair does throw it off." "Yeah, I'll change that." Asuna giggled.

"I'd hate to greet and run, but I promised Leafa I would duel with her today, and Agil said he found a monster that has a high chance of dropping the Elucidator." "Let me come with you." Asuna suggested. "It's okay. I can handle this one." Kirito replied, "Besides, didn't you already promise Liz that you would help her today." "Oh yeah, I did." Asuna replied, a little disappointed.

"I'll meet you later, promise!" Kirito assured her as he walked to the door, "Yui, why don't you stay with Asuna, okay?" "Copy that, papa!" Yui answered. Kirito smiled at the two as he exited out of the log cabin, leaving the two girls.

Kirito looked back from the cabin, looking concern. _Sorry, Asuna._ Kirito thought to himself, _I'm just not ready to have you join me._ He thought about the nightmares he'd been having. Then he recalled all but the one he had today involving Asuna getting swallowed up by the dark creatures, reappearing with a heart floating out of her body, and her body taking the form of one of the creatures. _I don't know what those dreams are about, but I don't want anything bad happening to you._ Kirito continued to think, _I promise you, when the nightmares stop plaguing me, we'll get back together._ Kirito looked onward, produced his Spriggan wings, and flew off into the sky.

Asuna stood there, looking at the door in a sad manner. Yui was on Asuna's shoulder, looking at her mother with concern. "He left me again…" she muttered, "Is he not interested in me anymore?" "No way!" Yui retorted, "Papa really cares for you! Besides, if he was no longer interested, I would do everything I could to patch mama and papa back together!"

Asuna smiled as she placed Yui in her hands. "That's really sweet of you, Yui." she told her, "But I'm still not sure why he's acting this way?" Yui pondered for a few seconds before responding, "It might have to do with the nightmares he's been having this month." Asuna looked to Yui surprised. "Kirito's getting nightmares?" Asuna asked. "Yeah. For the past two weeks, papa has had six nightmares. And by the looks of it, they all seem to be in common, though I can't say for sure what it is. He never tells me…"

Asuna looked to the door again, thinking. _Six nightmares in two weeks. That's a lot of nightmares to have in a short period of time._ Asuna thought to herself, _Are these nightmares responsible for Kirito's behavior? If so, I wonder if I'm in them?_

"Should we go talk to papa together on it?" Yui asked. Asuna shook her head. "No, I don't think we should intrude. Besides, you know how your papa is; he will keep those kinds of things quiet until he needs to say anything about them." "Okay…" Yui sighed, "Though I'd wish I could help him out." "Just telling me what's wrong with Kirito is good enough." Asuna assured her, "It puts me at ease that it isn't anything more serious."

Asuna pulled up her menu screen, reverting back to her Undine attire again. "C'mon. We're suppose to meet up with Liz, Silica and Pina on material gathering." she told Yui. "Okay. Let's do it!" Yui declared, and the two walked out of the cabin.

* * *

_(9:50 AM)_ Outside of Aincrad, in one of the darker valleys within Spriggan territory, Kirito flew to a ravine where he noticed the shadows of an an abundant of large monsters in a large open part of the ravine. Standing before the entrance to that part were Klein and Agil. They noticed Kirito flying towards them, and waved up at him, issuing him to land in front of them.

"Hey, Agil. Hey, Klein." Kirito greeted them. "Yo, what's up, Kirito?" Agil asked, saluting him. "Hey, buddy!" Klein added, looking at Kirito's attire, "I see you went back with the retro look of SAO. Trying to relive some of the old times?" "Yeah, kinda." Kirito answered haphazardly, though it really was Asuna's idea for them to recreate their old SAO looks.

"So is it true? Can you really find the Elucidator here?" Kirito asked, "When I obtained it in Aincrad, I got it as a monster drop from the floor 50 boss." "Yeah, well since floor 50 isn't open yet, I figure you wanted to get it some other way." Agil told Kirito, "After some listening around, I heard about someone claiming that these monsters dropped a sword called the 'Elucidator' from those things…"

Agil pointed to the monsters ahead, and Kirito, using his ALO Searching Skill, managed to see the monsters clearly from their distance. They looked like large black bulls with red eyes, three tails, long horns, and its' legs were smokey, almost like wisps. Kirito was able to analyze the monster, and see the name 'Black Taurus' over it.

"From what I heard, those things are a pain to defeat." Klein added, "Players say those things are fast and strong, but their magical defense is pretty weak." "What about their physical defense?" Kirito asked. "Pretty normal for a monster." Klein added. "Klein and I have already investigated, and counted nine of those monsters." Agil followed, "We also know those things are phantom-based monsters."

"Thanks for the info." Kirito thanked them, walking to the entrance, unsheathing his blade. "Hold on, Kirito!" Klein stopped him, "We're gonna help you out on this one." Kirito looked back at Agil and Klein, who pulled out their battle ax and katana, respectively. "Since there are nine of those things, we can take on three a piece." Klein told Kirito, "Let's hope that one of us is lucky to get the Elucidator to drop for us." "And if it doesn't, we can just wait here for them to respawn." Agil added.

Kirito looked at the two, then towards the herd of Black Taurus. One of them looked towards Kirito's direction. In Kirito's mind, he witnessed the eyes of the monster turning a sharp yellow. The same yellow as those monster he saw in his nightmare. His eyes panicked on this. Were these monsters what he had been dreaming about?

"Kirito? Kirito!" Klein called out, shaking Kirito out of his daze. He shook his head and turned to Klein, who looked concern. "You okay there?" he asked, "You looked like you were gonna freak out." Kirito looked at Klein for a second, then looking back at the monsters, who showed the same red eyes as before. It took Kirito a few seconds more to calm himself, realizing it wasn't these monsters he was worried about.

"You gonna be okay, man?" Agil asked. "Yeah, I'll be fine." Kirito replied. "Maybe those clothes are giving you bad memories, or something." Klein guessed. "Nah, it's not that." Kirito chuckled faintly, "It was nothing. But let's put that aside for now. We should take on those monsters together. But we'd better do it quickly, since I promised Leafa I would duel her this afternoon." "A little brother-sister quarrel, huh?" Klein said in his sly tone. "Just shut it, Klein." Kirito snapped before rushing in, followed by Klein and Agil.

* * *

_(11:25 AM)_ Up in Yggdrasil City, Leafa was walking out of Liz's Smith shop, her katana resharpened. Liz, Silica and Pina followed out of the building as well, Liz closing up the shop. "Thanks for sharpening up my sword for me." Leafa thanked Liz. "No problem." Liz replied, "Business had slowed down a little today, so I didn't have any other customers. And since you are about to face your brother today, you and your weapons need to be at their best." Leafa giggled at this.

Pina squeaked at Silica, drawing her attention. "I think Pina's saying we should hurry and meet Asuna and Sinon at our meeting point." Silica told Liz. "I agree." Liz concurred, turning to Leafa, "Wish we could go watch your duel with Kirito, but I'm running low on material." "Don't worry about it." Leafa replied, waving off her excuse, "Happy hunting. Tell Asuna I said 'hi'." "Will do." Liz answered as she, Silica and Pina turned to a different road, "See ya!" Leafa waved them off as the three raced along the path towards their destination.

Leafa watched them leave for a few seconds, then heard a familiar cry. "Hey, Leafa!" It was Recon, racing up the path she was heading towards. "Hey there, Recon." Leafa greeted him as he stopped next to her. Recon was catching his breath, then smiled up at Leafa.

Leafa had started to move on from being in love with Kirito for a while. She eventually realized she could never win against Asuna, so she had to give up on it. Even though she felt that was the outcome, Leafa didn't take the idea too well. However, Recon was there to help her out, and since she remembered his sudden confession long ago, she decided to see how it would be if she would get along with him, both in the game and IRL. While it was slow to start, Leafa did start to be interested in him. His duties as the Lord Manor Staff Member did get in the way of their time together, but he found time whenever he could.

"Did you get off work today early or something?" Leafa asked Recon, who stood up straight. He cleared his throat before replying, "Actually, I came here to tell you that I finally did it. I finally got reservations to that restaurant you wanted to go to IRL."

"S-Seriously?!" Leafa stammered, shocked at this sudden news, "You actually made a reservation there?!" "Yep." Recon answered, rubbing his nose as he looked proud at his achievement, "I saved enough money for us to go there together on a date." "But I was only kidding when I said I wanted to go there." Leafa told Recon, "I didn't expect you to take it that seriously!"

"You were only kidding?!" Recon gasped, then slumped in despair, "I didn't know that. And I worked so hard to create a perfect date for us, too…" Leafa sighed as she looked down at Recon. "Honestly, Recon…" she muttered, then smiled, "Still, I appreciate you doing this for me. I can tell you were working hard on it. And I was interested in the food they had there."

Recon looked up at Leafa as she thought about it for a second, then said, "I'll take you up on that offer, Recon." "You mean it?" Recon asked, his happiness revived again. "Sure, as long as you're paying." Leafa answered. Recon nodded. "Of course. Our reservations are a week from today, at 2pm." "Okay, then." Leafa answered, "I'll set the calendar for that date."

"Oh, thank you, Leafa!" Recon cried. He was about to hug her, but Leafa pushed him back. "Let's not go that far yet, Recon." Leafa replied, "Maybe after our date, then we'll see." "Right…" Recon chuckled, rubbing his head embarrassingly, "Well, I'd better head back to Swilvane. Lady Sakuya is expecting me to return soon." He raced back the way he came, turning his head back to Leafa as he shouted, "I'll see you at school tomorrow!" "Give Sakuya my greetings!" Leafa replied, waving him off.

As he raced off, Leafa lowered her hand, watching Recon. The truth was that she really did care for Recon's efforts on getting those reservations. It proves just how much he would do for her. Then again, this was the same guy who used a Self-Destruct spell to aid Kirito and Leafa to reach the top of the world tree in the old ALO. Leafa smiled a bit. "That Recon…he's something else." she muttered. She started to walk along the path, finding something to do before her fight with her brother this afternoon.

* * *

_(12:20 AM)_ Somewhere in the open fields in Alfheim, within the Leprechaun territory, Asuna was fighting off a plant-type monster. Her skills with her rapier plus her speed made it troublesome for the monster. It swung one of its vines at her, but she avoided it, producing her wings, then flew at the monster. Her rapier glowed, and she unleashed her Quadruple Pain rapier skill onto it, defeating it and turning it into scattered data. She landed onto the ground, seeing the reward she got for defeating it.

"Great going, mama!" Yui cheered, flying in to join her. "I should get a head start on gathering up material for Liz while I'm here." Asuna told her, "Besides, I need something to preoccupy my thoughts right now…" Yui settled onto Asuna's shoulder, looking at her face. She knew Asuna was talking about Kirito. It was bothering her that she didn't know what his nightmares were about, nor how to help him with them.

"Asuna!" a voice called out. It was Liz, Silica and Pina, all three of them flying towards her with their fairy wings. "Hey, Liz, Silica." Asuna greeted them as they landed onto the ground, "Is Sinonon not with you?" "She must be running late." Liz assumed as Pina and Yui greeted one another.

"Should we wait for Sinon to come?" Silica asked. "I'm sure she'll be here soon." Asuna answered, looking around the air, then saying, "Here she comes right now." Everyone looked up to see another familiar face coming their way. Cait Sith Sinon was flying towards them, fumbling a bit as she was trying to keep her balance in the air. She landed onto her feet in front of the group, sighing in relief.

"Well look who showed up last." Liz sassed. "Sorry about that." Sinon apologized, "I'm still trying to get the hang of flying without the controller. It's tough keeping your balance in the air while concentrating on flapping your wings. I nearly fell twice coming here." "I know that feeling too well." Silica sighed as Asuna giggled.

"So anyway, should we get started?" Asuna asked. "Seems like you've started already." Liz replied, pulling out her mace, "Oh well, let's get started!" Silica pulled out her dagger with Pina at her side as Sinon pulled out her bow and an arrow from her quiver. "Let's fight till there's no more left!" Liz declared as another one of the plant-like monsters appeared before them. The other three cheered in response as Sinon released an arrow while the other three charged in for the fight.

* * *

_(1:15 PM)_ Back in the ravine, Kirito, Klein and Agil were still fighting all the Black Taurus in the vicinity. It was their eighth wave of monsters they dealt with in the same place, but they still haven't found the Elucidator yet. Kirito was slightly annoyed that he wasn't able to find his old sword, but Klein was even more ticked. Agil just said that any of the material or weapons they got from the beasts were good business for him and his shop.

"Dang! How many of these things do we have to fight?" Klein asked, leaping to one side as his target charged at him, then slashing the beast, "Hey, Agil! You sure your information was right?"

"I'm positive about it." Agil replied, gripping his axe sideways with both hands and holding his ground as the Black Taurus he was fighting was pushing him back. "I even saw the blade itself in that guy's hand. He even told me how to get it." "Maybe he was playing with you." Klein assumed, "It's obvious the guy must've wanted to have the only rare blade for himself."

Kirito slashed one of his blade down onto his target, turning it into data. _It's a possibility that Klein's theory is right._ he thought to himself, looking at the remaining monsters, _But there is a chance that the Elucidator is here. It could be so rare, that it'll take incredible luck to gain it, but we've been going at it for a while, and had not found it yet._

Then Kirito thought of something else. _Maybe it's not the drop percentage that matters, but the monster itself._ Kirito looked around, wondering. _Maybe one of these Black Taurus is different from the others, and THAT'S the key to gaining it._

Kirito observed each bull, examining them closely. He noticed a Black Taurus respawn a good distance away, and Kirito, seeing it appear, notice something. A small, silver cross-mark was on the forehead of the beast, and Kirito, recalling back to his SAO days, recalled the same cross mark on the flat of his Elucidator, just beneath the tip.

"That's it!" Kirito declared, and he charged headlong at the beast. The shout got Klein and Agil's attention. The Black Taurus with the mark turned to Kirito, his eyes set on him. Kirito raised his blade and slashed down onto the beast as it reared its' head. The blade caught one of its' horns, canceling each other's attack.

Kirito placed his feet onto the head and kicked himself off as one of his blades started to glow violet. He performed his 'Lightning Fall' Sword Skill, somersaulting in the air and slamming the tip of his blade onto the back of the Black Taurus, damaging it with the wound and the electric shock that followed.

The beast reared, and Kirito was forced off its' back. He then concentrated, performing his Skill Connect ability, making his second blade, his Dark Repulser, glow crimson. He folded his arm as he charged in, then twisted his body as the energy extended his blade to twice its' length, and thrusted the blade at the beast, who was unable to counter the attack as it got heavily damaged by it.

It was sent hurdling forward as Kirito concentrated once more, making his first blade glow bright blue, then he charged at the beast, leapt high into the air, and performed his 'Sonic Leap' Sword Skill, slashing it through the head of the beast, sending it back to the ground. "No matter how many times I see it, his Skill Connects are too cool." Klein stated.

As Kirito landed onto the ground, he turned to see the monster writhe in agony, then it slowly went still, then disappeared into fragments of data. Kirito saw the window pop up in front of him, indicating his rewards. He looked down it and saw, in the monster drop section, the sword icon with the name 'Elucidator' next to it. "Yes!" he said, pumping his fist.

He placed his primary sword into his inventory, then tapped the Elucidator in its' place. The black blade he knew for over a year in SAO appeared right onto his back sheath. He reached back and pulled it out, holding it aloft. He looked down it, remembering what it felt like. "Hello, old friend." Kirito greeted his blade, smiling.

"Now there's a blade I remember." Klein stated as he and Agil joined up with him, "But how did you know it would appear from the Black Taurus you defeated?" "Well, for one, you were half-right about what you suggested to Agil." Kirito explained, "He did say where to get the Elucidator, and he was right. What he didn't say was which Black Taurus would have it."

"Maybe he was just blindly going through the monsters, and didn't notice that detail." Agil suggested. "Maybe." Kirito replied, sheathing his blade, "Though, the mark on the forehead sticks out a lot compared to the other monsters that don't have them. But either way, we finally found it."

"And now someone looks the part of an old-fashion SAO Beater." Klein added, indicating Kirito's entire look. "Well, the ears are a dead giveaway." Agil pointed out, looking at Kirito's pointy fairy ears, "Oh well, can't be perfect, right?" Kirito looked down himself, wondering. _I guess it's okay for me to wear this look, despite what I had to deal with in SAO before. Will it help me overcome the nightmares I've been having? I don't know. All I do know is that I'm ready._

"So now you got your look down, what next?" Klein asked. "Now it's time for me to test it out." Kirito replied, "And I know who my first opponent with it should be…" "Wish I could watch your duel with your sis, but I have a bar to take care of IRL." Agil stated, "I'll go drop off the stuff we got from fighting these monsters and log out. Good luck." "Yeah. See you IRL." Kirito replied as Agil produced his wings and took off.

"So when are you gonna fight your sis?" Klein asked as Kirito pulled up his friends list. "I think 3 should work, at that open floating island near Aincrad." Kirito decided, pulling up Leafa and sending a text, "I'd better get use to having my Elucidator back."

"Dude, you don't need to 'get use to it'. It's, like, totally your signature weapon." Klein stated. "Well, better safe than sorry, anyway." Kirito stated, "You gonna watch?" "Hell, yeah! I wanna root for both of ya!" Klein answered promptly, "Let's go, already!" Kirito nodded as they walked out of the ravine, produced their fairy wings and took off into the sky.

* * *

_(2:00 PM)_ Asuna, Liz, Silica, Pina and Sinon were just finishing the last of their third wave of monsters. Asuna sighed in relief as she sheathed her blade. Yui flew down to her shoulder as Asuna turned towards her friends, who were gathered around Liz as she looked at the rewards they got from fighting the monsters.

"So did we get enough for you?" Asuna asked as she drew closer to them. "Sure did." Liz answered, closing the reward screen, "Thanks for helping me out." "No problem." Silica answered. "You're the one who keeps repairing our weapons, so we should at least help you out." Sinon pointed out.

"So what now?" Silica asked the girls, "Is there anything else we can do?" "Well, I've already finished all of my homework for class tomorrow." Sinon recalled, "I'm pretty much free to do anything."

"I was planning to go to one of the hair salons in Yggdrasil City." Asuna stated, "I want to turn my hair color back to its' normal look." "That's right. You've finally finished completing your original SAO attire." Liz stated, "I can't wait to see you in your full look again." "I want to see it, too!" Silica agreed. Asuna smiled and nodded in confirmation.

Just then, a window popped up in front of Asuna, indicating a message from someone. Asuna tapped it, revealing it to be a message from Leafa. "It's Leafa." she told the others, "She says that her duel with Kirito is happening in about an hour from now. She even told me the location."

Liz, Silica and Sinon all looked to one another, then smiled. "I think we just found our next thing to do." Liz said slyly, "We should go and watch their match together." "Sounds great!" Silica agreed, with Pina crying in agreement. "Let's all meet at the floating platform before 3, okay?" Liz told the others, who nodded in agreement.

Liz took off back to her shop to deposit all the material they've gained. Silica went with Sinon, wanting her help on a couple problems on her homework. Asuna watched them all leave, with Yui on her shoulder. "I can't wait to watch papa's duel." Yui stated. "Me, too." Asuna agreed, "And just maybe, if I watch him, I could understand what his nightmares might be about."

Asuna paused for a bit, thinking about what she had just said, then continued, "Well, I should get the last part of my SAO look completely down. Let's go get my hair and eyes done right." Asuna produced her Undine wings and took off into the sky towards Yggdrasil City as fast as she could.

* * *

_(2:40 PM)_ Asuna was now looking at herself in a mirror in the changing room. She had just finished the color change in her eyes and her hair. Seeing her hazel eyes and her chestnut hair made her almost forget she was in the game. However, her pointy ears and her Undine attire were a dead giveaway that she was. Yui had just turned into her human-sized form, and she was standing behind her.

"So how do I look?" Asuna asked, wanting Yui's opinion. "It looks exactly like your real eyes and hair, mama." Yui replied. "Then I guess that just leaves me with one last thing to do…" Asuna stated, pulling up her equipment screen, and within a minute, she had replaced her attire to her SAO attire once more. She looked once more into the mirror, examining herself in as she twisted her body left and right. Apart from the ears, she looked exactly like how she did back in SAO.

She paused as she continued to look at herself, and Yui noticed her expression changed. "Is something wrong, mama?" she asked. "No, it's nothing too serious." Asuna replied as Yui went to stand right next to her, facing the mirror, "It's just…the look is bringing back a lot of memories…" Asuna looked at her reflection, and imagined herself back in SAO, with Kirito standing on the other side of Yui. With how Kirito was, she wanted to have things back to normal, just like in those days. She was missing her time with Kirito.

Yui somehow was able to think what Asuna was thinking as she looked up at her. "Don't worry about it, mama!" Yui cheered her up, "I'm sure papa will get together with you again. I'll do whatever it takes to help papa with his nightmares, and we can be a family again."

Asuna looked down at Yui, surprised she could read her so well, then she smiled. "I know you can help him, Yui." Asuna replied, patting her head, "I want to do my part to help Kirito out, too. So let's go cheer for him with all we got so he knows we care." "Yeah!" Yui cheered in response. She transformed into her Navigation Pixie form as she and Asuna raced out of the dressing room, towards the place where the duel between Leafa and Kirito would take place.

* * *

_(3:00 PM)_ The floating piece of land that Kirito talked about was large, with a few marble-stone columns that looked like they were from ruins, and a few trees growing all around the edges of the platform. Silica, Pina, Sinon, Liz and Klein all were sitting on a fallen column, watching Kirito and Leafa standing some distance from one another.

Asuna and Yui had just flew over the trees, landing behind the group of watchers. "Are we late?" Asuna asked as she raced over to them. "Nope, you're just in time." Liz answered, "They're about to start their match."

"Oh, wow!" Silica gasped, seeing Asuna's full look, "You look exactly like how you did in SAO. It's kinda nostalgic." "The second commander of the Knights of the Blood Oath returns to the field." Klein stated humorously, "Now both you and Kirito have your full looks."

Asuna looked at Kirito, and noticed the familiar Elucidator sheathed into his back, along with the Dark Repulser. "He found the Elucidator?" Asuna asked. "Yeah. Took a heck of a lot of time to find the blade, but Kirito did get it again." Klein answered, "Now, he's ready to bring SAO to ALO." Asuna looked back to Kirito, thinking about him back in those days.

Kirito and Leafa looked at the crowd watching them, then back at one another. "I know Klein was gonna come, but I didn't expect everyone to be here." Kirito noticed. "Yeah, well I decided to contact the others, telling them where and when we would meet for our duel." Leafa answered, "I figured we'd have our friends watch our fight, too, and cheer us on."

_(Cue KHBBS OST 'Future Masters')_

She pulled up her menu, and setting up the duel for them. The request for the duel appeared before Kirito, who looked down at it. He pressed the 'yes' button, and the timer appeared before them with the words 'Kirito vs. Leafa' between the countdown timer. Leafa backed off as she pulled out her blade, gripping the handle in both hands. Kirito readied his Elucidator, and got into his fighter's stance, ready to brawl. The others watched intently as the timer counted down, then finally hit zero, signaling the beginning of their fight.

Leafa and Kirito charged at one another and clashed blades. They struggled off of one another for a second, then went into a series of attacks at one another, striking and parrying each other's attacks. The others were cheering for their fight, and while Asuna, Yui and Klein cheered for Kirito, the other three girls were cheering on Leafa.

Kirito's blade swiped horizontally in front of Leafa, leaving a mark just above the waist. Leafa grimaced, then did a slanting slash onto Kirito, who blocked it, then thrusted at Leafa, who ducked out of the way, making an upward strike that left a mark on Kirito's right side.

Kirito backed off, then made his blade glow orange as he prepared the 'Howling Octave' Sword Skill, coming at Leafa as his Elucidator's blade ignited into flames, then thrusted it multiple times at her, who couldn't avoid it in time, then Kirito slashed downward, then upwards, sending himself into the air. Leafa recovered herself enough to perform her own wind-element Sword Skill to counter Kirito's overhead slash. The clash sent a tower of flames flying around them, and made the others brace themselves from the shockwave of the attack.

Kirito was sent flying back as Leafa skidded back, both in a post-motion delay from their attacks. Leafa's HP was down by almost half, while Kirito's was barely down a quarter.

Leafa was the first to recover, and raised her hand, conjuring magic. "Þeír, slíta, fimm, grœnn, vindr!" she shouted, and she unleashed her 'Vacuum Blades' Magic Skill, sending five boomerang-shaped blades of energy at Kirito, who finally recovered. Kirito concentrated as he saw the attack coming, and with the skills he gained in GGO, slashed down three of the blades, but got hit by the last two, causing an explosion that engulfed his body. The attack reduced his HP beneath the two-third mark.

The two ensued their fight, which was all over the place and powerful to watch. Their friends all continued to watch, whether intently or with cheers. "They are really going at it, aren't they?" Sinon asked. "Yeah, but Kirito still isn't using his Skill Connect." Asuna pointed out. "He's probably saving it for if he really needs to use it." Klein stated.

Kirito and Leafa were backing away from one another, panting from their fight. Kirito's life was beneath 1/3 full while Leafa was at 1/4. Kirito was concentrating on Leafa, waiting for her next move. _He's holding back._ Asuna thought to herself, _I guess that's just to be expected. He won't take things seriously unless lives were at stake._ Leafa steadied herself, ready to make her next move. She placed her foot forward, and Kirito readied his blade for whatever she was gonna do.

Just then, Yui gasped, and looked up. "What is it, Yui?" Asuna asked. "Up there!" Yui cried, pointing into the sky. Asuna looked up into the sky, and saw what she was seeing. The sky was starting to distort high above their position, then a trail of data broke open a black hole in the sky.

"What the heck is that?!" Liz exclaimed, noticing the black hole. Klein, Silica, Pina and Sinon were also amazed at what they were just seeing. Even Kirito and Leafa stopped and were shocked at what they were seeing.

More data, similar to what opened the rift, poured out and started encircling Aincrad in the sky. "Yui, what's it doing?" Asuna asked. "I don't know." Yui responded, "All I know is that the data is not the same as the game's data." "What do you mean it isn't the same?" Sinon asked. "I can't say for sure, but I think it's coming from a separate source of data." Yui answered, analyzing the stream that formed a ring around a part of the bottom half of Aincrad, "It's so strange. I've never seen anything like it…"

They all watched the data continue to stream a ring around Aincrad. Then all of a sudden, it dove straight into the floating castle itself. The castle started to glow brightly as it seemed to be given brand new data into it. The team was just amazed at the sight of it all, wondering what was gonna happen to Aincrad. Then all of a sudden, the light became so bright that it blinded everyone. Then just as suddenly, the light vanished. The stream of data and the rift also disappeared. There wasn't a single trace it was even there to begin with.

For a while, everyone just stared up at what they had just seen, stunned. Finally, Leafa asked, "Did everyone see…what I just saw?" "If that's another way of saying 'were you dreaming that?', then you were wrong." Liz replied. "But what the heck was it? Some kind of crazy addition to Aincrad or something?" Klein asked. "I don't know." Kirito answered, looking concern, "But whatever it was, it's gone now."

Just then, the crew heard the sound of a loud bell resounding throughout all of Alfheim. "Attention Players." said a female voice, "Due to an anomaly within the game, we ask that you would immediately log out of Alfheim Online while we do some maintenance on the server." The team looked to one another. If they just saw the anomaly, they wondered what it had done to the game.

* * *

_(5:50 PM)_ As soon as they had logged out of ALO, Kazuto, Asuna, Suguha, Ryoutarou, Rika, Keiko and Shino all reunited together at the Dicey Cafe as fast as they could. Shinichi also joined them, having seen what had happened from a distance. Whatever they just saw, they wanted to pass it onto Andrew, and see what everyone had to say on it.

"…I mean, it just came out of freakin' nowhere!" Ryoutarou finished the explanation, "I don't know what it did to Aincrad, but hopefully it isn't anything too damaging." "Well I didn't get a good look like you guys did." Recon stated, "All I saw was Aincrad light up suddenly, then it just suddenly stopped. But what was all that extra data about?"

"I heard a lot of this from all the Players in and out of Aincrad that witnessed all of this." Andrew explained, "According to the ones inside, they felt the ones that had the most problems were between floors 22 and 27. Everyone said that their bodies either started lagging or freezing up all together until it was over. But you guys got a front-row seat to the whole thing."

"Yui was the one who sensed it beforehand." Asuna pointed out, "I hope she didn't get infected by it." "She's fine." Kazuto answered, "In fact, she looking into the anomaly as we're speaking right now. She became really curious about the whole thing." "Yeah, well if I was an AI, and I saw what THAT happen in a game I lived a lot of my life in, I would check it, too." Rika stated.

"I really hope Aincrad is still okay." Asuna prayed, "Our home was on one of the floors that got it worse. I really don't want to lose it." Kazuto placed his hand on her hand on the table, and she looked at him as he smiled. "Everything will be okay." he assured her, "I'm sure whatever it was isn't anything too horrible. All we have to do is have faith that our log is still there, okay?"

Asuna smiled up at Kazuto. "Why does it have to be something this big or more that brings us closer together?" Asuna asked him in a slightly amused manner. Kazuto's smile nearly failed on him, but he recovered it quickly. He had been distancing himself from Asuna ever since those nightmares, believing whatever was happening in them might happen in real life, and she might be involved. Why was he thinking that, anyway? He needed to stop thinking that way, and started getting things back to the way they were.

"Um, if you guys are done cuddling, we have other things to contemplate." Rika told them, and the couple turned to see snide looks from her, Keiko, Shino and Suguha. "Man, it really must be rough being that popular." Ryoutarou stated to Andrew, who smirked in an amused manner.

Asuna and Kazuto let go of each other's hands, and Kazuto cleared his throat. "Well, in any case, the maintenance members of ALO should be working on fixing things right now. If Yui has found something, she'll tell me first. Then I'll tell you guys after that." Everyone nodded in agreement. After an hour of talking and theorizing what they had seen, they all bid farewell to Andrew and left to their individual homes.

Asuna and Shinichi stayed behind to watch Kazuto prep up his motorbike for him and Suguha to drive home. "When Yui finishes figuring out what's going on, please tell me as soon as you can?" Asuna asked Kazuto. "Sure thing." he replied, getting onto the bike with Suguha, "You'll be the first to know." "After me, of course." Suguha added to Kazuto, making him and Asuna chuckle at this added statement.

"Tell me as well." Shinichi added, "I'm anxious on what happened to Aincrad as well. You'll tell me at school tomorrow, won't you, Suguha?" Suguha paused for a second. While she and Shinichi were starting to become a couple, it was weird for her to hear him address her by her first name. "Okay, you got it, Naga-, I mean Shinichi." Suguha replied. Kazuto revved up his motorbike, then took off, leaving Asuna standing there, watching.

Suddenly, Asuna had a sort of feeling cross her heart as she watched them leave. Whatever she felt also crossed her face, cause Shinichi looked to her, asking, "Is something wrong, Yuuki?" "I'm not sure." Asuna asked, touching her heart, "It was as if…I felt like this would be the last day we could be like this."

Asuna pondered for a second, then she shook her head, smiling. "Nah, it was probably nothing." she told herself, "I'm just anxious to know what had happened in Aincrad." "Of course that's what it is." Shinichi answered, "Nothing's gonna change. Things will stay the same, no matter what!" Asuna smiled at Shinichi, then the two walked along the path towards the train station, where head would head for their home.

Little did they know that Asuna was absolutely right as Kazuto, Suguha, Asuna and Shinichi went their separate ways. This was gonna be the last afternoon they would enjoy in their everyday lives.

* * *

_(Twilight Town, Mansion Computer Room)_ DiZ was sitting at his computer, typing away at the complicated keyboard. leaning on the wall at one end was a man dressed in a black robe, his head covered by a dark hood. That was Riku, or at least, Riku in his Ansem form.

"Sora's heart is nearly complete." DiZ informed, "It is now time for Roxas to reunite with him once more." "At long last," Riku stated, "I was waiting for this moment. That sleepyhead friend of mine will soon wake up." "Yes," DiZ replied, smiling a bit at Riku's sarcasm, "He will be ready to face the looming dangers that are about to appose him."

DiZ looked up at a separate monitor, where he was observing the digital Twilight Town. There, he noticed a boy with yellow spiky hair being attacked by a red, spiky-haired man, who wore the same black coat as Riku. Their names were Roxas and Axel respectively.

DiZ quickly tapped away on the keyboard, and suddenly Axel froze in mid-swing. "Roxas, to the mansion!" DiZ cried into the speaker, "The time has come." The boy named Roxas looked about, wondering where the voice had just come from. "Hayner! Pence! Olette!" Roxas cried in desperation. Seeing as nothing happened, he started to run to the mansion.

"Good," DiZ confirmed, "Now I shall let my digital counterpart take care of the rest." He stood up and turned to Riku. "Go and gather up Naminé. She is of no use to us anymore." he told him. Riku nodded in understanding, and was about to open a black portal to go get Naminé. He then stopped, and turned to DiZ, a question still nagging on his mind.

"If you don't mind me asking this, but I couldn't help but notice you were working on a side project while gathering up Sora's memories." Riku stated. DiZ looked at Riku for a second, then turned back to the monitor. "Yes," he answered, sitting down and tapping on the computer, "I had recently discovered a link to a different world, one not from our dimension. There, I found a world inside of a 'game' far greater than what I created."

"A game?" Riku asked. "A game that was once a life or death sort of game." DiZ explained, "A game that real people can created digital copies of themselves inside it. I had learned, through my research, that there are heroes there with unimaginable skills and strength. I am very intrigued by this world, especially these heroes that they talk about."

"So what do you plan on doing with this new world?" Riku asked him. "I sent a test subject to that world. There are certain individuals I believe will be able to accomplish it. From what you have already discovered, the Organization had already added a new member to their ranks. A unique Nobody that came from the same dimension. I fear that he might be problematic if left uncheck. So I decided to recruit new pieces to our side to counteract this measure.

Riku looked puzzled at his words. "So tell me, what is this 'game's' name?" he asked. DiZ finished typing and looked at the monitor, where it displayed Aincrad, floating in the sky above Alfheim. "The game's original name..." he said, turning to Riku, "...is Sword Art Online." Riku looked at Ansem, then to the screen, wondering.

"Is this really necessary?" Riku asked, "Are you planning to take these 'pieces' from their world to here?" "It is for the best." DiZ replied, "In order to stop Organization, one must utilize every method necessary, no matter how irrational it looks. Not only that, but I believe that these individuals possess a skill you and Sora possess." He pulled up on the screen three individual characters. It was Kirito, Asuna and Leafa, all three of their faces zoomed closer on the screen for a better look at them.

* * *

**4/15/2026**

Kirito was having another nightmare. He was standing on a dusty canyon top, surrounded by the same black, yellow-eyed creatures that he had fought many times before in his other nightmares. And just like all the other nightmares, his Elucidator and his Dark Repulser were having no affect on the monsters. He was backed to the ledge of the canyon, the monsters surrounding him in a semi-circle.

"C'mon, just leave me alone, already!" he barked at the monsters. One of them pounced at Kirito, and as Kirito avoided it, it gripped onto his Dark Repulser. He tried shaking it off, but it was crawling towards his arm, so he threw it and his blade over the canyon. He looked down, and was shocked to see many others climbing up the canyon wall towards his position.

"This is ridiculous!" Kirito gasped, looking down at his Elucidator, "If only I could defeat these monsters with my blades, I could escape these nightmares…" He turned back to the monsters that he was fighting before, gripping his Elucidator tightly. _Please, Elucidator. Help me defeat these monsters!_ Kirito thought to himself with all his might.

Just then, the Elucidator in his hand started to shine brightly, and it made all the monsters he was facing halt in their tracks. "W-What the…?!" gasped Kirito, blinded by the light from his blade. The light then died down, revealing a new weapon in his hand.

It had a distinct figure that looked like an oversized key. It was black and long, comprised of a rounded hilt guard that looked like bat wings, with a purple diamond in the front of the hilt. The shaft of the blade was black, with a chain running up it. The black teeth of the key-like sword looked like the Kanji word for 'Darkness'. Finally, dangling off the back of the hilt was a black chain, with a black crown token at the end of it.

"What is this?" Kirito asked, examining the blade, "A key?" He looked to the monsters around him, and noticed a change in their attitudes. It was like they were afraid of the new sword he had. Kirito looked at the key-like sword again, then got into a battle stance, deciding to use this against them.

He dashed forward and slashed at one of the monsters. It was destroyed instantly by his new weapon. Kirito was surprised at his accomplishment, but he didn't have time to praise himself. One by one, he started attacking the monsters, eliminating them with his new weapon. "It's so light, yet so powerful." Kirito stated, taking out two at once.

Once Kirito cleared the monsters that were on the canyon top, he turned to face the monsters that were climbing the walls. However, what he saw was something else. Something frightening. A gigantic, humanoid-like monster with a heart-shaped hole in its' chest and the same piercing-yellow eyes as the other monsters.

Kirito was stunned at the sheer sight of the beast as it raised its' hand and curled it into a fist. Kirito needed to regain himself as he saw the fist launch down at him. He dashed forward, leapt up at the fist, and struck his blade against it. His blade faded from existence upon impact, stunning Kirito even more. "No. Not now!" Kirito gasped. Then he was pulled along with the fist as he crashed into the ground, causing an explosion of rubble.

* * *

_(6:30 AM)_ Kazuto fell off of his bed, and onto his back, his bed sheets scattered around him. He was in a daze as he laid there, waking up on impact. For a while, there was silence, then Yui spoke up. "Papa! Are you doing okay?!" Yui asked, who according to Kazuto's laptop, flew right next to his head, kneeling right next to him. "Yeah, I'll be fine." Kazuto moaned, raising himself up slowly.

He looked around, seeing the position he was in, then stood to his feet, scratching his head. He then lowered the same hand he used for scratching, looking at his palm. "What was that weapon?" Kazuto asked, thinking about the key-like sword he was using, "It helped me fight those monsters off for a while." "Papa?" Yui asked, flying right next to him. Kazuto shook his head, snapping him out of it. "It's nothing." he assured Yui.

"You were thrashing in your sleep a lot more than before." Yui told him, "Were you beating up those nightmares you were having?" "Sort of." Kazuto answered, "Well, at least I was able to truly fight back in my sleep. That's something to be proud of." Yui smiled at this.

Kazuto went to his laptop, where he saw Yui fly towards with him. "By the way, Yui. Have you analyzed what happened yesterday?" he asked her. "I did a full investigation of the anomaly." Yui explained, "From what I could gather, there hasn't been any damage to Aincrad itself, but there has been an added quest on floor 25 that wasn't there before the anomaly."

"A quest?" Kazuto asked. "Yes. And apparently, it is one that the officials are not able to remove." Yui continued to explain, "It is from an outside source that no one could figure out, not even me. From what I could gather, it's a simple boss-elimination quest, but it was something that no one has ever seen. It doesn't seem to come from any source of history, Mythology or even modern technology."

"So it's just some random boss monster?" Kazuto asked, "What's the name of the quest?" "The official name of the quest is 'Kingdom Hearts'." Yui answered, "Do you have any ideas, papa?"

Kazuto looked down, thinking. Kingdom Hearts. A Kingdom of hearts. Sounds to him like it came from a fictional novel. The closest he could think of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, due to the Queen of Hearts. However, that was just a vague assumption. He then thought of reversing the words. Maybe it was the heart of a kingdom. The kingdom could possibly refer to Aincrad. However, floor 25 is hardly the heart of Aincrad. What could the name be referring to?

"I can't think of anything right now." Kazuto answered, puzzled at the quest name, "Maybe we should go ask the others if they know what it means." "Good idea!" Yui answered, "Leafa might know. Ask her first." Kazuto nodded, and exited the room.

* * *

_(7:00 AM)_ "Kingdom Hearts?" Suguha asked, about to eat her breakfast. Kazuto had just explained everything Yui told him to her. "Yeah, have any idea what that means?" he asked.

Leafa paused as she took a sip of her orange juice. "Maybe it is just the kingdom of hearts. You know, people's hearts." "Hmm…maybe." Kazuto agreed, "That does seem to make sense. Though, I don't know any other sources that would be referred to as the 'kingdom of hearts'." The two thought for a second on what might be known as the 'kingdom of hearts', but nothing came to mind.

"So what are you gonna do about it, Kazuto?" Suguha asked. "I guess I'll try dealing with the quest." Kazuto answered, "I'm pretty curious about it, and that's the only way I could think of dealing with it." "But you said it's from an unknown source." Suguha reminded him, "What if it's, you know, a trap?" "Then I'll just have to improvise." Kazuto answered.

Kazuto thought for a second, then added, "I think it would be best if I took it on by myself, just in case if it is a trap." "Oh, come on, Kazuto!" Suguha scoffed, "Even if it is a trap, I doubt you'll be able to handle it on your own. Let me come along with!" "No. I want you to stay back, just to be safe." Kazuto answered sternly, causing Suguha to look surprised, "I don't want my cousin to be in any danger. Besides, if it is a trap, I want you to help find me if I can't get out of the situation."

"This doesn't feel right." Suguha muttered, "I mean, I know it isn't like all those other times when you went off on your own, but at least get some help doing the quest." "I'll have Yui with me. That'll be enough." Kazuto assured her, "She knows how to help me out of places like that if things get hairy."

Suguha thought for a second, then sighed as she placed her mug down. "I guess I can't get you to let me come with you, no matter what I say." she understood, "Fine, I'll stay behind, but you still have to tell Asuna this, and I know she won't let you go on your own with this." Kazuto looked down at his mug. "You have a good point." he muttered.

* * *

_(12:30 AM)_ "Absolutely not!" Asuna barked at Kazuto, denying his request to take it on by himself. The two were sitting at their favorite bench in the gardens. It was lunchtime, and Kazuto had finally brought up the topic of Kingdom Hearts to her. And just as Suguha assumed, she wasn't gonna take no for an answer.

"I don't want you to be in danger." Kazuto told her. "And I don't want YOU to be in danger, either." Asuna retorted, "That's why I'm coming with you." "But I…" Kazuto started. "No buts. I made my decision." Asuna stubbornly finished.

Kazuto tried thinking up an excuse to stop her, but she could tell nothing was gonna stop her from coming with him. He sighed, then rubbed the back of his head as he said, "Okay, we'll do it together. But listen, if I tell you to run, you have to do it, okay?" "As long as you come with me, then fine." Asuna answered, "I don't want you to play the lone hero again, like back in SAO."

"Yeah, but back then, we didn't have a decision on the matter whether to go or leave. Akihiko Kayaba trapped us in the game without any warning. And after what happened to the Moonlit Black Cats, I didn't want anyone dead because I screwed up." Kazuto reminded her, "However, this one has plenty of reasons why it could be a trap, and that's why we have to be extra careful on this quest." Asuna nodded in response, understanding the dangers. "As long as you, me and Yui are together, we can accomplish anything." Asuna assured him.

"Then let's get together at floor 25 after school." Kazuto decided, "Now the question is what should we wear for it." "Let's use our SAO attire." Asuna decided, "Now that we have them, we should use them to accomplish this quest." "Okay. We'll meet together at the warp gate." Kazuto decided, standing up. "I'll see you then, and don't go leaving without me, okay?" Asuna warned Kazuto.

After school was done, Kazuto and Suguha met up together, and he told her what was gonna happen. "I figured Asuna wasn't gonna let you go." she stated, "Still, I hope you know what you are doing. This is a quest that someone hacked into the game to deliver. There has to be a motive behind it." "Don't worry. Yui, Asuna and I will take care of it, and come back, safe and sound." Kazuto assured her, walking into his room, "Well, I'm gonna log in. See you after the quest." Kazuto closed his door, leaving Suguha standing there, worried. "Please come back safe, Kazuto." she muttered.

As instructed, Kirito was standing at the warp gate, waiting for Asuna. Yui was on his shoulder, anxious. "I'm so excited. We haven't been on a quest with mama for a long while." she told Kazuto. "I agree." Kazuto replied, smiling at Yui, "Maybe that last nightmare gave me a little hope, since I was able to fight off those monsters a bit." He looked down at his hand, recalling that same key-like weapon he used. "Wish I knew what it was." he added to himself.

Just then, Asuna appeared out of the warp gate, seeing Kirito looking up at her. "Thanks for waiting." Asuna thanked him as she stepped down and came to him. "No prob." Kirito replied, "Well, should we get going?" "Sure, but I want to head somewhere first before we go on the quest."

* * *

Where she wanted to go was a floor beneath them, at the island where Asuna first met Absolute Blade Yuuki. The blade with the red piece of clothe on the handle was still in front of the large tree, acting as Yuuki's memorial. Asuna was in front of the tree, with Kazuto and Yui far behind, watching her.

For a moment, Asuna didn't do anything but have her head lowered, her eyes closed. Then in an instance, she pulled out her rapier, which glowed purple. She then performed Yuuki's Original Sword Skill 'Mother's Rosario' in front of the tree, unleashing the 11-hit attack, then finishing off with the final thrust, causing a major explosion. When the explosion faded, Asuna sheathed her blade, and turned away.

"You came here to give your respects to Yuuki?" Kirito asked. "That, and to ask her to wish us luck on this quest." Asuna added, coming back to Kirito's side, looking back at Yuuki's monument, "And the best thing I thought she would appreciate would be if I used the same Sword Skill she gave to me." Asuna looked back the monument, missing Yuuki's smiling face. She then shook her head, knowing the fact that Yuuki would want her to keep fighting forward.

"Anyways, let's get moving." she told Kirito, "Where is this quest, anyway?" Kirito pulled up his menu, pulling out the description on the 'Kingdom Hearts' quest. "It in a cave behind a waterfall." Kirito answered, looking at the location, "Let's go and make sure the quest is safe for everyone." Kirito and Asuna produced their wings, and they took off to the sky.

* * *

An hour later, the two found the cave mention right behind a waterfall within a jungle-like part of the floor. They crept behind the waterfall, and entered the cave. Kirito performed his 'Night Vision' magic skill to help them see the path ahead. Yui led the path, with the two walking behind her.

"So have you got any ideas what 'Kingdom Hearts' might refer to?" Asuna asked Kirito. "I'm pretty sure Sugu's suggestion might be our best bet." Kirito answered, "I mean, from what it sounds, it might be the kingdom of hearts." "But what hearts could it be a kingdom of?" Asuna asked, "Is it a certain kind of heart?" "I think it is just every person's heart." Kirito answered, "It is the only thing that would make sense. Question is, how will that be related to the quest."

"Over here, mama, papa." Yui ushered them over. Kirito and Asuna went over, and saw a man standing in front of a large door with a black and red-outlined heart symbol with a red, spiky cross through it.

The man was in a complex attire; a long black robe with yellow lining that reached the floor. He had several brown straps pinned to the front, with brown pouches in a diagonal formation going down. His top black shirt had armor pieces on the sides and abdomen, a white symbol showing through a segmented cut through the red long cape he wore over his shoulders. As for his face, it was covered in red bandages, with two black straps with silver buckles that crossed his face, one crossing diagonally over his left eye. His right one was exposed, revealing a bright orange eye.

The trio stopped as they approached the man, seeing the quest flag over him. "Looks like he's the one we need to talk to." Kirito guessed. Asuna looked at the name of the NPC above him; 'DiZ: Darkness is Zero'. _Darkness is Zero?_ Asuna thought to herself, _What is that suppose to mean?_

As soon as they got close, the NPC spoke to them. "Welcome, warriors of Alfheim and Aincrad." he greeted them in a deep voice, "I have been searching for certain individuals that are capable of challenging my test to prove their worth." He directed their attention to the door. "Behind these doors is an enemy for which you have never seen before." DiZ continued, "I assure you, the enemy is not for the feint at heart to fight. Those who accomplish the task of defeating the enemy shall be given a chance to prove themselves to something greater I have in store for them. I wish you luck." The quest accepted signal appeared above the NPC, signaling the start of the quest.

"So I guess all we have to do is defeat the monster within."Asuna summed up. "Yeah, but remember all the clues he added." Kirito reminded her, "The stuff like 'searching for certain individuals' and 'prove themselves to something greater I have in store for them'. This could just mean it is a two-part quest, but we'd best be on our guard."

Yui was looking at the NPC, who had not moved from his spot since he finished his speech. "This NPC…his data is far different to other ones, even AIs. It's like he a Player, but not." Yui pointed out to the two. "Are you sure?" Asuna asked her. The trio looked to DiZ, then to the door before them.

"Well, we aren't gonna get answers by standing around." Kirito decided, "Let's go beat the monster within." Asuna and Yui nodded in agreement. Asuna and Kirito pushed the doors open, and entered into the room.

The doors closed behind as DiZ turn to the doors. "So two of the three have come to challenge my test." he said, "Well then, I would like to see just how well they would perform against the Heartless themselves, and the tasks ahead of them." And with that, DiZ disappeared into data.

* * *

When the door closed behind Asuna, Kirito and Yui, they found themselves in complete darkness, almost like they were standing in starless space. Then all of a sudden, the place sparkled into a bright light. The trio shielded their eyes, wondering what was gonna happen. When the lights died down, the trio opened their eyes. "What the…?!" gasped Asuna, the trio amazed.

The area became something of a Victorian-age town district at night, surrounded by tall buildings with lights shining from inside and lamp posts. There were stairs that led to a higher part of the town, and a golden fountain in the corner of the lower area they were in. Behind them was a pair of large wooden doors, where they supposedly entered through.

"What is this place?" Kirito asked, looking about. "It's a town. But it doesn't look like any place in Aincrad or Alfheim." Asuna described, looking about. "Yui, do you know what this place is?" Kirito asked Yui. "No. It's all new to me, as well." Yui answered.

For a while, the trio wondered what they might find here. Then all of a sudden, from above, something large and heavy fell from the sky, landing onto the ground. Asuna and Kirito braced themselves, then readied their weapons as they prepared to fight whatever just landed in front of them. What they saw was a bunch of oversized, purple and black armor pieces, comprised of a hourglass-like body, the helmet, two gauntlet with claw-like fingers, and hammer-like leggings.

Both fighters and the Navigation Pixie were standing there, looking at the armor, wondering what it was for. Then all of a sudden, the armor pieces started to shake, then float into the air. The body centered itself as the leggings went underneath, the gauntlets floated to each side, and the head landed on top. The armor stood there, none of the pieces attached to one another, but still acting like one set of armor.

_(Cue KH OST 'Shrouding Dark Cloud')_

The trio were surprised at this new monster that formed in front of them. "What the heck is this thing?!" Asuna gasped, hoping it wasn't a ghost with the floating parts. Kirito first noticed the symbol on the body, which was the same black and red heart on the door. Then three life bars appeared above the body, along with separate life bars for each gauntlet and legging. The name 'Guard Armor' appeared above its' head.

"Guess DiZ was right. I've never seen anything like this before." Kirito stated, readying both of his blades. "Here it comes!" Yui warned them as the Armor stomped towards them. It launched one of its' gauntlets forward, and Kirito, Asuna and Yui scattered, avoiding getting hit by it.

Kirito recovered and charged at the armor, slashing at one of the feet. The individual life bar that was above the foot went down, getting Kirito's attention. He unleash a jumping uppercut with his blade onto its' torso, damaging it. The Armor retracted his gauntlet, and started spinning them around his body like a tornado, striking Kirito and sending him flying back.

Asuna jumped from behind and thrusted her rapier several times at the body of the armor. She landed onto the ground as the armor stomped the ground, creating a shockwave that sent Asuna tumbling back. She then used an incantation, unleashing the 'Ice Arrows' magic attack that sent four sharp icicles at the armor. It raised one of its' gauntlets to block the attack, damaging it instead.

"Those gauntlets and leggings are taking damage individually from the body." Kirito noticed, seeing the life bar of the gauntlet go down, "I bet if we take down all those arms and legs, taking out the body shouldn't be a problem afterwards." Kirito charged in and attempted to strike the feet again, but the Armor jumped high into the air. Kirito was surprised it jumped so high, then it came crashing down upon him, sending a massive shockwave that heavily damaged him.

"Kirito!" Asuna shouted, seeing him struggle to get up, and notice his life bar down to one-third left. Asuna then saw the Armor stall, and she quickly performed a healing spell on Kirito, restoring his stamina again. "Are you okay?" Asuna asked, racing to him as he stood up. "Yeah. Thanks for the save." he thanked Asuna.

They turned to face the the Guard Armor, who had begun stomping towards them. "We have to attack the arms and legs of the Armor in order to weaken it." Kirito told Asuna, "Let's take them down first!" "Right!" Asuna answered, and the two dispersed as the monster nearly stomped on top of them.

Kirito targeted the damage legging he got before, and slashed it several times. The Armor target him with the gauntlets, shooting them at Kirito, but he dodge them and took a slash at each of them as well. He then charged up his Dark Repulser into a sky-blue aura, then swung at the legging four times with a 'Horizontal Square' Sword Skill, which ended with a 2D rhombus that scattered and disappeared. The legging's life bar dropped to zero, and its' color dulled as it tilted to its' side, then disappeared into data.

Meanwhile Asuna had been jumping around, striking the torso and gauntlets when she had an opening. She backed off as the Armor spun its' gauntlets around its' body. She got as far as she could from the Armor, then charged forward with her rapier glowing blue, and she unleashed the 'Flashing Penetrator' Rapier Skill. She flew like a comet at one of the gauntlets, and she pierced right through it, knocking its' life bar instantly to zero and making it fade away.

Despite having one arm and one leg, the Guard Armor still kept going like normal. It attempted to jump and stomp down on Kirito again, but he avoided the attack. "I'm not gonna fall for that again!" Kirito barked, jumping and slashing with his Elucidator onto the torso. The attack caused it to be stunned, it's body, arm and leg all toppled to the ground. Kirito targeted the last gauntlet while Asuna targeted the legging. Together, they destroyed both parts. Now all that was left was the body and head, and two life bars remaining.

The armor recovered as it' body floated in midair, and Kirito and Asuna were on opposite sides of the armor. "Time to finish you off!" Kirito declared, racing at the Armor. It started to spin around like a top, and Kirito swung his blade with the flow of its' spin, got spun around himself, then knocked away by the Armor bashing into him.

"Kirito!" Asuna shouted, seeing him topple towards the wall. Asuna then turned to the Armor, which went wild as it continued to spin. Asuna dashed forward, her rapier at the ready, and she thrusted forward. The attack on the spinning Armor was rebounded, and she was sent flying like Kirito, flying right into the golden fountain, which made a big splash.

Kirito raised himself up and saw Asuna in the water of the fountain. "Asuna!" he shouted. He then turned to the Armor, who stopped spinning. As it slowly turned to him, Kirito saw, through the holes of the helmet's visor, flashes of yellow, which were its' eyes. Kirito was stunned. _Yellow eyes?_ Kirito thought, recalling the monsters in his sleep, _It can't be…is this thing related to the monsters in my dream?_

Kirito looked at Asuna, who moaned as she rose in a sitting position. _If it is that, then I can't let Asuna get involved with fighting this monster any further._ Kirito decided, _I don't want her to disappear like she did in the nightmares._

Kirito charged headlong at the Armor, and struck it with his blade. The Armor retaliated by thrusting its' helmet forward, to which Kirito blocked with his blade, but was sent skidding back. Asuna got to her feet, and watched as Kirito charged in again, slashing furiously with his Elucidator. The Armor flew high into the air, and intended to slam down on Kirito. He jumped out of the way as it fell, but was carried by the shockwave, sending him close to Asuna's position.

Asuna got ready to jump in, but Kirito noticed her. "No, Asuna!" Kirito stopped her, "You stay back and use healing magic. I'll deal with the close combat." "What…?" Asuna asked. "Just trust me." Kirito added, "I'll be fine." And with that, Kirito leapt forward, ready to continue the fight with the Guard Armor. Asuna just stood there, confused, with Yui flying down on her shoulder.

Kirito's battle with the Guard Armor was rough. The spinning attacks, the headbutts, the slams and shockwaves were all powerful, and Kirito was having a hard time dodging the attacks. Whenever his HP got too low, Asuna would perform healing magic to restore his strength, and he would continue to fight. It wasn't just Kirito being reckless that was causing him to get damaged so much. The Guard Armor's had no attack pattern to follow. Every attack it did wasn't based on an AI algorithm.

After several minutes of combat, Kirito managed to bring down the second life bar on the Guard Armor. Prepared for the worst, Kirito, Asuna and Yui watched as the Guard Armor stomped its' body on the ground three times, and from out of nowhere, smaller, armored creatures appeared, and their helmet visors were up, revealing their black faces and their piercing yellow eyes. The name 'Heartless Soldier' appeared above their heads.

Kirito looked all around him, seeing all the creature, and he was shocked. "These monsters…" he gasped, "They're like the ones from my dream. But why? Why the hell are they reappearing here?!"

Asuna and Yui looked to Kirito when he started shouting, seeing his expression of fear. "What's going on with Kirito?" Asuna asked, worried about Kirito. "I think he said they were like the ones from his nightmares." Yui overheard. Asuna looked at all the monsters, who were clanking around with their armor on, then looked at the Guard Armor. What could this mean? Did Kirito had a premonition of what was to come here?

One of the Heartless Soldiers jumped at Kirito, doing a spin kick. Kirito prepared his Elucidator, and slashed at it, stopping its' attack. Kirito then performed his 'Vertical Arc' Sword Skill, forming a V on the Soldier, and making it vanish. He backed away from the spot as he looked around at the other Soldiers. "At least these ones I can beat!" he told himself, and he went to work on them.

He begun mowing down the Soldiers, one by one, all the while, the Guard Armor continued to attack Kirito when it saw fit. Meanwhile, Asuna had to take care of the ones near her. The Soldiers could only slash with their claws or perform spin kicks, and their HP wasn't that high.

As Asuna finished off the last one near her, she looked to Kirito, who fended off two more Soldiers around him. However, he didn't notice the Guard Armor flip its' body on its side, aiming the hallow bottom at Kirito. Asuna saw it charge up a ball of white energy at Kirito, like the barrel of a bazooka charging to fire.

"Kirito!" Asuna cried, realizing he was in danger. She charged in and performed her 'Quadruple Pain' Rapier Skill on the Guard Armor. It damaged it and made it angle its' shot as it fired, sending the ball of energy flying right past Kirito.

He had just defeated the last Soldier, then looked to the Armor, noticing Asuna had saved him. "Get out of there!" He shouted to her, panicked she might disappear. The Armor flipped right-side up, and Asuna unleashed several strikes from her rapier, slashing it repeatedly. The Armor jumped high into the air and slammed down upon Asuna, who sped out of the way fast enough to avoid the shockwave. She raced towards Kirito's side along with Yui, Kirito look relieved to see her safe. However, Asuna looked sternly at Kirito.

"Do you take me as a fool, Kirito?" Asuna asked him in a harsh manner, "Why the hell would you think fighting this monster on your own is a good idea?" "I just…" Kirito started, but Asuna cut him off. "And another thing. You said before that these things were like the monsters from your nightmares." she recalled, softening up a bit, "Tell me, was I in them? Did you see me get killed by them?"

Kirito looked at Asuna for a second, then he looked downward, and slowly nodded. "I didn't see you get killed, but I did see a heart float out of you when you were shrouded by those monsters." Kirito explained, "And then after, you turned into one of them. I couldn't stop thinking about them." "And that's why you distance yourself from me?" Asuna asked, "Because of those nightmares?" Kirito nodded, too nervous to speak.

"You listen to me, Kirito." Asuna told him sternly, "I may have not seen what your nightmares are like, but I am a whole lot better than that. I'm not the Asuna in your dreams. I'm the Asuna who knows when things are too dangerous, and who has fought in many tough fights, already. And more importantly, I'm the person who loves you, Kirito."

Kirito raised his head and turned to her. "I am always there for you, okay?" Asuna finished, "After all, you have always been there for me. We look out for one another, and that's how we solve all our problems."

Kirito looked at the Guard Armor, who had stopped moving about, and merely floated there, waiting for them. "I guess I've been a bit of a coward, huh?" Kirito asked, "I thought those nightmares were so real, that it made me distance myself from you." Kirito looked to Asuna. "Sorry for not saying anything. I just didn't know how to say it properly." "Well, that, and you always seem to do everything yourself." Asuna stated, smiling. "Yeah, that too." Kirito chuckled.

He, Asuna and Yui looked at the Guard Armor, who had grown tired of waiting, and begun spinning towards them. "Let's end these nightmares for good, together!" Kirito declared. "You got it!" Asuna answered, and the two charged in.

The two divided up as the spinning Armor passed by them. It slammed into the wall and stopped spinning. Kirito used this opportunity to unleash his 'Savage Fulcrum' Sword Skill, causing ice to form on the back of the Armor, then performing a vertical slash as he twist around, causing more ice to form on its' front. Asuna then jumped in and performed her 'Neutron' Rapier skill, unleashing five consecutive thrusts, which caused a burst of holy light to appear from after.

The Armor's life bar was on its' last legs, and it flew high into the air, this time landing a good distance away before flipping its body around, ready to fire another ball of energy. Kirito and Asuna darted forward, racing at the Armor, then simultaneously slashing it on both sides of its' body. The Armor didn't move, but the light from its' hollow body disappeared. It then collapsed to the ground, its' helmet rolling away from the body. The body then disappeared in a flash of lights, much different to disappearing into data.

Kirito and Asuna swiped their blades, then sheathed them, looking back at the spot the Armor faded from. "I guess that's that." Asuna stated as Yui flew next to her, turning to Kirito, "We defeated that monster together." Kirito smiled at the two, thankful for both of their help. _After everything that happened here, I think I can finally let go of the fear these nightmares are giving me._ Kirito thought to himself, _Now I just have to know what those nightmares are about._

For a while, no one moved. Then the trio looked about, wondering. "Wait, I thought we were to be congratulated for defeating that monster." Asuna recalled, "So why isn't it showing." "We also didn't get any reward for our efforts." Kirito added, looking down in front of him, where the reward screen should've pulled up, "What's going on?"

The two walked to the door that they entered through, and Kirito pushed on it. It didn't budge. Kirito tried harder, but nothing. "It won't budge." Kirito told Asuna. The two worked together, pushing with all their might, but it didn't open. "Yui, what's going on with this door?" Kirito asked Yui. She looked up and down it, then answered, "That's strange. The door is right here, yet I don't detect it leading outside the way we came anymore." Yui looked all around. "In fact, I don't seem to detect the outside at all." she added, looking worried.

Kirito and Asuna looked at each other, worried. "What does this mean?" Asuna asked. "It means we were right from the start." Kirito snarled, "This whole thing was a trap." Asuna looked around, taking in the reality, then swiped her hand to pull up her menu. It didn't show. She tried it again, and it still didn't appear. "The menu's not pulling up." Asuna added, "We can't even contact anyone from outside."

Kirito stood in the center of the room, and looked about. Finally he shouted, "Hey! Whoever's the person who created this place, you'd better show yourself now! Get us out of here, right this minute!" Kirito waited for a response, but he didn't get one. Instead, something started to happen around them. The room started to deteriorate into data, from the sky to the walls.

Asuna and Yui backed off as the floor started to disappear, then they raced towards Kirito, who turned to see them. All at once the floor disappeared on all three of them, and Kirito, Asuna and Yui, who was somehow unable to fly, started to fall into the darkness below, their screams slowly fading away as they fell.

* * *

The trio were unconscious as they fell through the darkness, their eyes closed and their faces neutral. Suddenly, the place Kirito's heart was at started to glow, then it shined brightly, enveloping himself, Asuna and Yui. The trio weren't fazed by this light, but data started to pour from an outside source, going straight into Yui. She moaned a bit, but wasn't waking up. The light around them disappeared, but Kirito, Asuna and Yui's bodies were glowing as they continued to fall. "The time has come." came DiZ's voice, and then silence.

* * *

**Twilight Town: Old Mansion**

The trio were inside the computer room of the mansion. Kirito and Asuna were on the sides of the room in a sitting position, their backs to the walls, still unconscious. Yui was on the ground between them, sprawled on her back. She was the first to open her eyes. She looked up at the ceiling, then getting a realization what had happened, she flew up into the air, looking about.

The room was dark, filled with all sorts of technology and metal walls. The most noticeable parts were the computer with the multiple glowing screens and the machine next to it, which looked like it might be some sort of warp gate. "Where am I?" Yui asked, looking about, "What is this place? It has no data creating the environment."

She then realized Kirito and Asuna were behind her, and she turned and looked down at them. "Mama! Papa!" Yui cried, flying in between them. She looked to each one, wondering who she should wake up first. Finally, she went to Kirito, and looked down at his face. "Papa!" she called out, "Papa, please wake up!"

Kirito's face started to scrunch up as he moaned. Yui looked relieved, then cried out, "Papa!" Kirito opened his eyes. He had the strangest dream ever. It consisted of certain trials that a voice was telling him to do. He had no idea what he had just experienced.

His eyesight was hazy as he looked up at Yui, who looked down at him worried. "Yui…" he moaned, seeing her above him. "Thank goodness you're okay!" Yui sighed in relief. Kirito removed himself from the wall, rubbing his neck. "What happened?" he asked her. "I don't know." Yui replied, "I found the two of you here unconscious."

Kirito turned and saw Asuna, who started showing signs of waking up, too. "Asuna!" Kirito gasped as Asuna opened her eyes, then stretched her arms upwards. She looked to Kirito, then the realization of what happened to the three of them kicked in, and she gasped in shock.

"What happened to us?" she asked, looking about, "Where are we?" "I don't know." Kirito answered, also confused about his surroundings, "Yui, do you have any idea?" "No. This room isn't made up of data." Yui answered, looking about. "What do you mean?" Asuna asked as she and Kirito rose to their feet, looking at her.

Yui looked about, then at her own hands. "This room…I can't seem to detect the data that forms it. I can't even see myself being made of data, either." She looked at the two as she added, "I can't even make it out on you guys, anymore." "Wait, you can't even see the data anywhere in here?" Asuna asked, looking down herself, seeing her SAO attire the same as before, "I don't understand. If you can't see it, then where does that put us?"

"It puts us back in the real world." Kirito answered, already knowing the answer. Asuna and Yui looked to him, surprised. "W-We're IRL?" Asuna asked, "But that's impossible! If that were the case, then why is Yui here, and why are we still in our combat attire?"

"I don't know the answer, but what Yui says makes sense." Kirito explained, "She can't see the data on anything. That means we are not in a virtual world anymore. And what's more, look at us. See something missing?"

Asuna looked at Kirito, and noticed a couple things that were off. "You're right." she realized, "I don't see a cursor on you. And what's more, you don't have pointy ears anymore." She felt for her pointy ears, but instead found normal ones. It's like she became human again. "Not only that, but our weapons aren't with us." Kirito added, indicating their scabbards, which were empty.

"And…what about Yui?" Asuna asked, "Is she…" "Yes. Yui has become part of IRL, too." Kirito answered, looking at the surprised Yui, "As crazy as it is, somehow how created a way for an AI to become a living being." Yui looked at her hands again, stunned. She then flipped in the air, and notice no change. "I can't even turn into my human form again." Yui noticed, now scared, "I can't change." Asuna held up her hands for Yui, and she landed into them, looking scared at her circumstance.

Kirito looked at the room, then walked to the computer. He sat in the chair, pulled the keyboard forward, and looked up at all the screens. "What are you doing?" Asuna asked as she approached him tapping away. "I'm trying to figure out where we are." Kirito answered, "If we can understand our situation, then maybe we can find a way back home." Asuna and Yui looked up at all the screens as Kirito typed away, looking at all the information on each screen.

It took him a few minutes before he stopped typing. He stood up as he looked at one of the upper screens, stunned beyond belief. "This…this is impossible." Kirito mumbled, "There's no way…" "Why? What is it, Kirito?" Asuna asked. Kirito was too stunned to even answer Asuna's question right off the bat. Apparently, Yui also saw all the information, and was shocked, too.

Finally, Kirito spoke. "This room…no, this world, is not the world we live in nor in the virtual world." he explained, "According to this data, we have ended up in an entirely different world. No…a different dimension!" "WHAT?!" exclaimed Asuna, too stunned, "Y-You're kidding me?! You have got to be absolutely kidding about this. It's all just one lie, right?"

"I wish I was." Kirito answered, shocked Asuna, "I'm totally in disbelief myself, but there's no mistaking this data. Yui, can you understand it?" "Yes." Yui replied, causing a shocked Asuna to look down at her, "According to all of the information, this computer was responsible for sending that quest into Aincrad. When the quest was completed, it would send a signal that would cause a digital wormhole of complex data to send the Players through time and space, and into another dimension. Specifically, this room."

Asuna hurried over to the machine next to the computer, looking up and down it. "But why?" Asuna asked, "Why would anyone want to send us here?" "It's because this person, whoever he or she is, needed us." Kirito answered, "He used that quest as a test of some kind, then brought us, and I mean specifically us, here." "Specifically?" Asuna asked, looking at Kirito. "Yes." he answered, "You and me. The person also was interested in Leafa, but she wasn't with us. Thank God."

"But what about getting back?" Asuna asked anxiously, "Can't you use this thing to bring us back to our world again?" "Unfortunately, the data to send us back was removed from the computer." Kirito answered in a despairing manner, "The person must've taken away any chance of us returning home again." Kirito looked down, thinking about it. "And since our data was sent to a different world, no one would know where we went to in Aincrad."

Asuna fell to her knees, drawing Yui and Kirito's attention. "This…this is just unfair!" Asuna cried out, "It was bad enough I had to spend over two years inside of Sword Art Online, then be trapped by Sugou, and now I have ended up even farther away from home than before? Why does this have to happen to us?!" Asuna then began to cry out of dismay. She was scared and shocked of the situation she was in, and she couldn't do anything but weep at this.

Yui also began to cry as she flew into her mother's arms, and she hugged her. She wanted to join Kirito and Asuna IRL, but this was not how she wanted to do it. It scared her to be in this position.

As for Kirito, all he could do was watch his girlfriend and his daughter cry, while at the same time feel terrified about his situation. While he was thankful that Suguha wasn't in this situation either, he had no way of telling her, or anyone else, where he was. He couldn't even tell them that he, Asuna and Yui were okay. What was gonna happen to their real bodies? He had way too many concerns to think about. However, he did know one thing; whoever brought them here was gonna pay.

Kirito noticed an open door on one side of the room, then turned to Asuna and Yui. "Listen, I know you guys are scared and worried. I am, too." Kirito consoled them, "But right now, we need to find the guy that brought us here, and teach him a lesson. It's the only way of getting back home again. Don't you agree?" Asuna and Yui looked up at Kirito through tear-strained eyes, nodding after a few seconds.

"Then let's go and find our way back home, no matter what." Kirito declared, reaching down to Asuna with one hand. Asuna wiped her eyes, then looked up at Kirito, smiling. He's was always the person she could count on to know there is still hope. "Yeah. Let's go." she replied, reaching up to take his hand. Kirito pulled her to her feet, with Yui, wiping away her own tears, flying up next to her. The trio looked to the open doorway, and walked right through into the next room, wondering where they might find the person that brought them here.

* * *

When they entered the door, they found themselves in a square-shaped room, with neon lighting surrounding the outer edges of the room floor, and another mechanical door on the other side of the room. The trio looked around, noticing no one was there, and walked to the next door.

They reached the center of the room when black shadows started appearing on the ground, followed by the reappearance of the same monsters Kirito saw in his nightmares. He also saw them in the dream he had before waking up here. "Not these again!" Kirito gasped, standing back-to-back with Asuna as they were boxed in.

"Wait, I saw these things in the dream I had." Asuna stated. "What dream?" Kirito asked, questionably. "It was a weird one I had before I woke up." Asuna answered, looking back at Kirito. Kirito was amazed. Did both of them have the same kind of dream? Apparently, Asuna was thinking the same question, but they didn't have time to answer. The monsters around them were drawing in closer, and they had no weapons to fight against them.

_"Use your powers."_ said a voice out of nowhere. Kirito and Asuna looked above and around them. "Who said that?" Asuna asked. "Who said what?" Yui asked her. _"Unleash your newfound powers within you."_ The voice said again. "What does it mean 'unleash our powers'?" Kirito asked. "What are you talking about?" Yui asked them, apparently not hearing the voice.

Kirito and Asuna were unable to tell where the voice was coming from. It was like it was coming from inside their heads. Just then, the two noticed a pair of the shadowy monsters about to pounce, and they leaped towards them. The two placed their weapon arms up in defense to block the attack, and something appeared in their hands, knocking the monsters back.

Kirito looked down, and was shocked. The same key-like sword that had appeared in his nightmare now appeared in his hand. "It's that weapon I had before." Kirito stated in amazement as he raised the weapon, "Asuna, look at this! Do you see…" He turned and was surprised. Asuna was amazed as she was staring at a similar-looking weapon now in her hands, though the design was completely different.

Her key-like weapon was mostly white. Instead of bat wings for her hilt guard, she had angel wings, and the shaft of the blade was two white bars with a pair of hearts forming at the guard and at the tip. The teeth of the blade was fashioned in the shape of the Kanji word for 'light'. The keychain dangling from the end of her weapon was small, thin chains, ending with a pink star-like token.

"You got one, too?!" Kirito gasped, seeing her blade. Asuna looked back at Kirito, seeing his. "What are these things?!" Asuna asked, surprised at their sudden appearance. Kirito looked back at the monsters, then got into battle position. "I'm just glad that this thing is here." Kirito stated, "They'll destroy these monsters, for sure!" Asuna looked at Kirito, then at the monsters, then decided to focus in on fighting the monsters.

The two split up and took on the monsters. The weapons were absolutely resourceful against the shadowy monsters, fighting them off with great power. They acted like blades, based on how well they cut up the monsters and make them disappear, but they had no edges on them, except for on the teeth. It took them a couple minutes to clear the room of the monsters.

Kirito and Asuna walked back to one another, examining their weapons. "This weapon is so light, yet so strong." Kirito stated, praising his new weapon. "I wonder how we were able to gain these…whatever they're called." Asuna asked, looking up and down her new blade. "I don't have a clue." Yui replied, floating down next to Asuna and seeing her weapon.

_"These weapons are known as 'Keyblades'."_ the voice spoke up once again. "Key-blades?" Asuna asked, confused as she and Kirito looked up. _"These weapons will help you throughout your journey."_ the voice continued, _"And each of them have a specific name. The black one is known as 'Oblivion'. The white one is known as 'Oathkeeper'."_ "Oblivion…" Kirito muttered, looking at his Keyblade. "…and Oathkeeper." Asuna followed, looking at hers.

_"Follow the path the Keyblade takes you, and you shall not lose your way."_ the voice finished, _"Unlock the path to your destinies. Beyond the next door lies the path awaiting you."_ The voice faded away, and the two didn't hear it again.

"So these 'Keyblades' will lead us to our destinies?" Asuna questioned, "What the heck does that suppose to mean?" "I guess it means we are gonna be using these weapons to find our way back home." Kirito answered, looking at his blade.

He flipped it around, then attempted to sheathe it onto his back. However, the Keyblade instead disappeared into a black light. Kirito looked at his hand, wondering where it went. "What happened to it?" he asked Asuna. "Maybe these things aren't placed away like normal swords." she assumed, looking at her blade, "Maybe if I think of putting it away…" Her Keyblade then disappeared in a flash of yellowish-white light. "Hey, it worked!" Kirito said in amazement. Yui looked to each of them, amazed at their weapons and wondering who they were talking to before. "We'd better keep moving." Kirito told the girls, and they pressed on into the next room.

* * *

The corridor passed the next door had the same mechanical walls and pipelines, but it also had another thing; there were several pods along one side of the wall. "What are these things?" Asuna asked, looking up at them. "They're pods. But what for?" Kirito followed, just as confused as her.

"Mama, Papa, look at this!" Yui called out, drawing their attention. She was flying in front of two other pods, and as Kirito and Asuna drew closer, they saw two characters within. They weren't human, but animal-like, but they had some sort of anthropomorphic features.

One had a the features of a duck, and he wore a high-collared navy jacket with a short, light-blue cape, and a blue beret. The second character had the characteristics of a hound dog, and he had on a long green turtleneck sweater, a black combat vest, yellow pants, and an orange stove-top hat with small red goggles on the bottom.

"What are they suppose to be?" Kirito asked in a questionable manner. Asuna got a closer look up at the duck's pod, examining him. "They look like they came out of a cartoon." Asuna compared. Yui got a closer looked and gasped, "They're breathing!" "Wait, these things are alive?" Kirito asked as Asuna backed away from them. "How can that be possible?" Asuna asked, looking at Kirito, who shrugged.

Just then, the group heard mechanical noises, then saw flashes of lights appear from the grooves of the pods, making Yui jump and fly behind her parents. The two prepared themselves as the pods started to open up, revealing the two characters into full view. The two slowly opened their eyes, groggy from the sleep they had. While the duck stretched his arms up, the dog attempted to walk out of his pod, but he missed a step and fell face first into the ground.

"Oof!" he yelped as he landed, then he raised his head, rubbing his nose. "Gawrsh, when did I start sleeping?" _It's talking!_ Kirito and Asuna thought in amazement. The dog looked up at the amazed trio, made a sign of recognition, then stood up. He was a bit taller than Kirito. "Hey, there." he greeted them, "Did ya happen to wake me up?" "Uh…" Kirito and Asuna started, looking to one another, their looks asking if this was a strange situation to them.

"Hey, what's the big idea?!" squabbled the duck, hopping out of his pod. Unlike the dog, the duck was plenty shorter than the two. "Okay, who are you two, and where are we?" the duck demanded, looking at the trio. "Well…" Kirito started, wondering how to answer when he realized he was talking to a duck and a dog. "We don't exactly know where we are either." Asuna replied, "We only woke up some time ago, as well."

"So you were sleepin', too?" the dog asked. "How do we know you aren't lying?" the duck asked suspiciously. "We only have our word." Kirito replied. The duck continued to look suspicious until Yui butted in, flying in front of the duck. "My mama and papa aren't liars!" she snapped at them, "We don't know where we are, nor who you guys are." "Wha? Mama?" the duck asked. "Papa?" the dog followed.

"It's a long story." Kirito answered, grabbing Yui by the scruff of her collar and pulling her back, "In any case, we should introduce ourselves. My name is Kirito. This is Yui." "And my name is Asuna." Asuna greeted them, "Nice to meet you." "Pleasure to meet ya." the dog responded, "I'm Goofy." "And I'm Donald Duck." the duck followed.

The two animals smiled at the trio, then they gasped in realization as they looked at one another. "Where's Sora?!" Donald asked. "Did ya happen to see anyone else here?" Goofy asked the three. "Sorry. You guys are the first people we've met." Kirito answered. "Maybe he's sleeping somewhere else!" Donald assumed. He waddle-ran away toward the curve in the corridor, down to the next door. "Wait for me, Donald!" Goofy called out, racing after him.

The trio paused as they watched them go through the door. They looked to one another, then Kirito started to follow them. "Where are you going?" Asuna asked. "Well, it's not like we have anywhere else to go." Kirito stated, "Let's follow them." "I'm not even sure WHAT they are." Asuna stated. "They don't seem like bad people." Yui stated. "And who is this Sora character they were talking about?" Asuna asked. "Only one way to find out." Kirito answered, and he continued on his path, followed by Asuna and Yui.

When they entered through the next doors, the team found themselves in a large, dome-shaped room. In the center was another bulb, but it was much larger than the others, and more technologically advanced. The interior was not see-through like Donald's or Goofy's.

Donald and Goofy were staring at it as Kirito, Asuna and Yui approached. "Sora!" cried Donald. "Sora, wake up!" Goofy called out. For a while, the group didn't hear a response. Then suddenly they heard more mechanical noises. The large bud-like machine flashed through the grooves like the other pods, then it started to open up like a lily in front of them, and inside was the first human they actually saw here.

_(Cue KH 2.5 OST 'Sora')_

He was somewhat younger than Kirito, lanky, with light brown, spiky hair. His uniform was composed of a red, zipped-up shirt with a black vest and white sleeves, white gloves with round metal pieces on the backs of the hands, an angled dark-blue belt, red pants that matched his shirt, yellow oversized shoes with metal soles, and a silver pendant with a crown similar to Kirito's Oblivion token. His attire did look a bit too small for him.

He yawned and stretched as he woke up, and he saw Donald and Goofy, who laughed as he floated in the pod. The boy leapt out of the bulb and hugged the both of them. "Donald, Goofy!" he greeted them as he got up. They started to jump in a circle together, laughing as they were reunited.

The boy stopped and turned to see the trio standing there. "Oh, hey there." he greeted them, "Were you the ones who brought them here?" "I don't know about that." Kirito answered as Asuna chuckled at their reunion. "I suppose that must make you the Sora they were talking about." Asuna assumed. "Yep, that's me." Sora replied, grinning at them.

Then another character came out from behind the boy. He was small like Yui right now, with a bug-like face, and he had on a top hat, and a coat with a tux, and he even carried an umbrella.

"That was some nap." he yawned as he hopped down onto the ground. "You mean, we were asleep?" the boy asked. "I guess we musta been, or I don't think we'd be so drowsy..." he stated. "When did ya' we went to sleep?" Goofy asked. Both Donald and the boy crossed their arms in thought. "Do you guys have any clues?" Sora asked Kirito, Asuna and Yui. The trio shook their heads, not sure, either.

"Let's see," the boy recalled, "we defeated Ansem..." "Yep," replied Goofy. "...Restored peace to the world, found Kairi...oh yeah, and then we went to look for Riku. I think that's right so far?" "Then what?" Donald asked.

They all pondered in thought, then Goofy asked, "What does your journal say, Jiminy?" The bug, Jiminy pulled out a small book and looked at it. "Gee," he said surprised, "There's only one sentence: 'Thank Naminé'. Hm, I wonder who that is?" The trio of friends looked at each other before shaking their head in response.

"Maybe it's one of them." Sora guessed, pointing at the trio. "Oh, their names aren't Naminé." Goofy answered, "These fellers' names are Kiro…Kiva…Kibble…" "It's Kirito." Kirito responded, trying to not be humiliated by a misinterpretation of his name, "My name is Kirito. And these two are Asuna and Yui." The two girls bowed in greeting. "Kirito, Asuna and Yui." Sora repeated their names, "Those names sound pretty weird." "If you ask me, Naminé sounds like a weirder name." Asuna added. "But like Goofy said, we don't know anyone by that name." Kirito finished.

"Some journal that is." moaned Donald. Jiminy looked doubtful for a second, then he responded, "Well, what do ya say we find out where we are!" "Sure. Let's go." Sora answered, and he walked to the trio, "Maybe you guys can show us around?"

"Sorry, but we have no idea where we are, either." Asuna responded. "Really?" Sora asked. "Really. We just arrived here without warning." Kirito answered. "In that case, let's find out where we are together." Sora decided, "C'mon, let's get out of here!" He raced out, with Donald and Goofy racing behind. "Wait for us!" Asuna cried, and she, Kirito and Yui raced after them.

_(Cue KHII OST 'Hand in Hand')_

"Hey guys, do we even know if we should follow this guy?" Kirito asked Yui and Asuna. "I have no clue." Asuna answered, smiling at Kirito, "But it's like you said; It's not like we have anywhere else to go." "You have a good point." Kirito agreed. "Let's see where they might take us!" Yui declared. Asuna, Kirito and Yui caught up with Sora, Donald and Goofy as they raced out of the corridor, and out into the biggest adventure they would ever face together.


	13. Day in a Life at the Realm of Arrival!

**I am now just going back and forth between Final Mix and Falling Fantasy. Again, I have a busy job that leaves me tired, and I have summer classes in Mythology and Shakespeare. Needless to say, I'm busy. But I won't stay away from the one thing I love; making SAK and sharing it with the world! Just like how the last episode was a remade beginning to SAK I, this one is a totally different point of view on how SAKII started. It features the characters from the Realm of Arrival, plus a trio of girls that, if anyone knows the anime, would be totally interested with. Hope you like it!**

* * *

_(I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Sword Art Online. All I do is form my imagination from both stories, and share it with the world!)_

_(Author's note) For those who want to figure out the voices I figured for the characters, here are my choices:_

_Gretinal: Stephanie Young (Similar to Nico Robin of One Piece or Freya from History's Strongest Disciple Kenichi)_

_Jackson Aeolus: Kate Higgins (Similar to Miles 'Tails' Prower voice from 2010-2013)_

_Cypress Gaia: Luke Manriquez (Similar to the Young Sora of 'Kingdom Hearts')_

_Latias Dalila: Brittany Karbowski (Similar to Wendy Marvell of Fairy Tail)_

* * *

**The Morning**

The sun shined upon the large building in the Realm of Arrival, where those who train in the are of wielding the Keyblade reside and learn to harness the power of the great weapon. However, the only people apart from the Keyblade Master herself are three young students. This story now takes place with these three students, in their everyday life.

In of the student's rooms, Jackson was still asleep in his bed. The sunlight slowly crept up his body, and hit his eyes. Jackson squinted, and he slowly opened them up. He stretched his arms back, grazing the dresser with his knuckles, then he sat up. He looked at the sunlight hitting him through the window. "When did the sun started rising so early…?" he asked himself groggily.

He then looked to his nightstand, and saw the clock. The hands pointed to 8:18. It took him a while before realizing breakfast started at 8, then his eyes widened in panic. "HOLY CRAP! I'M LATE!" he shouted, and he jumped out of his bed, and hurried to his closet.

"Why the hilt didn't my alarm go off?" Jackson asked, pulling his yellow shirt over his head, getting his arms through the sleeves, then grabbing a pair of pants and pulling them on. This proved to be difficult in his rush, as he got one leg through, then started hopping about to get the other leg through, and he ended up toppling over next to his dresser, causing one of his open drawers to collapse, sending a deluge of shirts on top of him. He moaned in his state, then shook himself out of it, grabbed his vest, socks and shoes, checked himself in the mirror, then rushed out of his room and down the hallway.

_(Jackson speaking) My name is Jackson Aeolus. I'm eleven years old, and I am a Keyblade Master in-training. I have been learning to use the mystical weapon since I was seven, so I've been here for a while. That being said, I am a bit of an airhead, and I lose track of time. Still, I keep a positive attitude, and train to my fullest extent. My dream is to become the next Keyblade Master._

Jackson rounded the corner, saw the double doors to the mess hall, and pushed them open. The room inside was large, and one long dining room table was in the middle of it. However, there were only two people sitting along the vast table. The black-haired boy, Cypress, and the young, red-headed Latias.

The moment he opened the doors, the two students looked to see the later arrival. "You're late, Jackson!" Latias declared at him. "That's the third time this week." Cypress added as Jackson rushed over to his seat where his breakfast was at. "Sorry, but I had started to try nighttime training." Jackson answered, grabbing a fork and scarfing down his cold eggs, "I wanted to see how well I can fight in the dark. You know, limiting my eyesight, and relying on my hearing."

"You do realize there is a curfew for going outside at night." Latias pointed out, "Why not just go in the middle of the day and train with, I don't know, a blindfold?!" "Because it would be even funner smacking him when he can't see." Cypress chuckled, "Remember that time you tried that, and I hit you on the back of the head?" "I had double vision for an hour after that, you jerk!" Jackson snapped, glaring at the snickering Cypress.

_(Jackson speaking) That's Cypress Gaia. He's been here as long as I have, and he's a year older. At most times, he's moody. At other times, he's ambitious. The rest of the time, he's both. One he also likes to jokingly pick on me on things. However, you get around some things, and he's a nice person. He has the same goal as I do, which makes us friends and rivals._

_The girl with the red hair is Latias Dalila. She's a year younger than me, and has only been here for two years, yet she's excelling so greatly in her studies in the powers of the Keyblade. She's sweet and very smart, but too much of a bookworm and a teacher's pet. Even so, I like her a lot. I don't know if Cypress feels the same about her, but he'd better not get in my way._

"You do know that the mistress will know of your late arrival." Latias warned Jackson. "Odds are, she will tell you off for being late like this." Cypress added. "Why? She isn't here yet!" Jackson pointed out, looking all over the large hall and seeing her not there, "To me, I'm fine so long as I beat her to the table. There's nothing to worry about."

Jackson was about to take a bite of toast when he heard someone clear her voice behind him. Jackson stopped with his mouth open, beads of sweat running down his face. He turned to see Mistress Gretinal right behind him, looking down at the boy. "The reason I wasn't here was because I had my breakfast in my office." she warned him, "That does not excuse you from coming in late!"

Jackson stood up again and bowed to Gretinal. "I'm very sorry!" he apologized hurriedly. "Jackson, I appreciate your determination to train yourself at night, but you must realize that rules are there for a reason." Gretinal told him, "How can you be a Keyblade Master if you don't follow even simple rules in THIS world?" "I'm sorry." Jackson apologized again, "I promise you I won't do it again without your permission."

Gretinal placed a hand on Jackson's hair, rubbing it to make him smile. "As long as you understand, I suppose a cold breakfast will be your only punishment." she answered. Jackson grinned as she looked back up at Gretinal. "Thank you, Mistress!" he thanked her.

As Jackson sat down to finish his meal, Gretinal started, "Now, as soon as all of you are done, we will begin your training for today. In fact, your three teachers came back today, so they will help you today." "Alright! They've come back!" Latias stated happily. "I wonder if they have seen any new worlds since their last visit?" Cypress asked. "If they have, I want to know what they got from them!" Jackson answered eagerly.

"We will rotate your training sequence, as usual." Gretinal informed them, "Jackson, you will head to the Obstacle Grounds first." "You got it!" Jackson replied. "Cypress, you will head to the Combat Training Facility." Gretinal continued. "Okay." Cypress responded. "Finally, Latias, you will head to the Magic Hall." Gretinal finished. "Of course, my Mistress." Latias answered politely. "We will rotate every hour and a half in the order I have given you." Gretinal told them, "They will inform me on how well you did. Let the Keyblade guide you through your tests." "Right!" the three students responded.

* * *

As soon as they were done eating, the three departed ways to each of their training stations. Jackson raced outside, around the perimeter of the castle, and towards the Obstacle Grounds. There, his teacher was at.

She looked like a older teenager, blue eyes and pink hair that went out in broad twin-tails that curled up at the ends. She wore a white and orange dress with a frilly white collar that blanketed over her shoulders, and a spiraling orange symbol on her necklace and belt buckle. She had black gloves that reached her upper arms with white collars, and white ankle-high boots with orange bottoms, stitched kneecaps and silver collars. She also had a winged headpiece on her forehead.

"Well, look who's here!" greeted the teacher as Jackson stopped in front of her. "Good to see you, Mrs. Dreamcast." Jackson replied. "Just Dreamcast will do." Dreamcast corrected him, "You don't have to be so formal around me." Jackson grinned at this. She was still as cheerful and carefree as ever.

"So have you seen any new worlds since last time?" Jackson asked. "Oh, I've seen a place or two." Dreamcast replied, "I even picked up some fun tricks from the journey. Wanna see?" Jackson nodded eagerly, hoping to know. "First, I want you to clear this obstacle course with a new record." Dreamcast replied, waving her hand to the large and complex obstacle course behind her, "If you do that, I'll show you one of my new tricks." Jackson understood. Another thing about her is that she will leave you in suspense until you accomplish the task given by her. Course, even if you don't complete it in the record time, she will still show you the trick.

Jackson got to the starting lane of the course, and Dreamcast readied a stopwatch. "You ready to go, Jackson?" she asked. "Ready!" Jackson responded. "I'll countdown from three. You go when I say so." Dreamcast informed him, "Three, two, one…" Jackson placed one foot back to push himself off. "…GO!" Dreamcast shouted, and she started the watch.

_(Cue 'Sonic Adventure 2/Battle - Escape from the City Instrumental Version')_

Jackson took off into the course like a bullet. The first several steps were a straight path, followed by a high platform Jackson jumped up onto. He then started to leap across gaps that grew wider and wider apart as he progressed. He landed onto the final platform after leaping a four meter jump, then started to climb up the ladder on the wall up to a higher platform.

He managed to make it up quickly, and he stood at the top, looking at the magically-moving platforms in front of him, swaying back and forth, leading towards the next platform on the other side. Jackson memorized the pattern of the platforms, and knew how to get across quickly. He then started at a continuous dash through the first few platforms, jumped at an angle towards the next one, then shifting back the path he was on before as he made it to the next level of his path; a rope that connected to the next platform.

Jackson looked down at the ground far below, then looked at the rope itself. He backed away a couple meters, inhaling and exhaling deeply. "Okay, here goes…" Jackson told himself. He dashed towards the edge of the platform, and leapt as far as he could go. Dreamcast gasped at this feet of danger. Jackson started to fall to the ground, but he grabbed the rope bridge, and was hanging there, more than halfway across the gap. Jackson felt the strain of his arms as he held on, but he recovered himself, and he started going along the rope one hand at a time until he pulled himself up onto the next platform.

The next obstacle was the final one. There were four horizontal bars that were far from one another, separating himself from the finish line. Jackson always had difficulty getting through this last part, since he kept slipping up whenever he tried to do it quickly. However, Jackson had a sure-fire way of getting through this obstacle. The only key behind it was timing.

Jackson focused on the first bar, then he leapt at it, grabbing ahold of it. He started swinging on the bar, noticing the distance to the next bar. Jackson gave himself some extra swinging power, then he launched himself to the next bar. He looked like he was gonna be too short to make it there. Dreamcast wondered what he was thinking.

Jackson reached out to the bar, then produced his Grandwave Keyblade in his hand, hooking the teeth around the bar. Using his momentum, he swung over to the next bar, making his Keyblade disappear and reappear, catching onto the next bar. Whooping with joy, Jackson looped around the bar with his Keyblade at hand, used the added momentum to flip over the next bar, stumbling onto the final platform, and through the finish line.

Dreamcast stopped the watch and saw the time. Two minutes, twenty-four seconds. "He beat his old record by quite a bit." Dreamcast gasped, amazed at the timing. She looked up to see the platform lowering itself to the ground, with a cheering Jackson on it, knowing he beat his record.

He leapt off the platform once it was safe, and rushed to Dreamcast. "So how do you like that, huh?" Jackson asked in a pompous manner. "I must admit, I'm totally surprised at you achievements." Dreamcast responded, "Those techniques you pulled off were reckless, but you had great control over your skills."

"If I can pull off tricks like that, then I know I can handle any situation along the way." Jackson stated. "That's true. But, as an explorer and a Keyblade user, you must be vigilant about your surroundings." Dreamcast, winking at him, " Don't rush through all things. Caution is also a key with courage. Keep that in mind, okay?" Jackson nodded in agreement.

"So can you show me that new trick you promised?" Jackson asked eagerly. "Sure!" Dreamcast answered, raising her hands up to stretch them out, "This trick is quite fun, and all you need is belief and imagination…" She positioned her hands like she was holding a flute, inhaled deeply, then blew. All of a sudden, the sound of a flute sounded from out of nowhere, playing as she moved her fingers to perform a song. Jackson was amazed at this trick, wondering how she did that.

When she was finished, Dreamcast lowered her hands as Jackson gave her a round of applause. Dreamcast bowed graciously at this. "How in the world did you do that?" Jackson asked. "It's like I said; belief is a strong power." Dreamcast repeated, "It can make the imaginative stuff real. It can make the impossible possible. It can make the things wrong become right. You certainly have it, when you performed your stunts in the course."

Jackson grinned at this. "I guess I believed in making those tricks work out, and they did." he pointed out. "You got it!" Dreamcast responded, giving him a thumbs up, "Now, let's go through that course again, and see if you can outrun your old record." "Right!" Jackson responded, and he raced into the entrance of the course again.

* * *

While Jackson was dealing with his training, Cypress entered through the doors of the Combat Training Facility, and walked right in. It was a large area, with a few large pieces of training equipment, and the central ring of the ground-covered floor stood for the arena. Inside that arena was the combat teacher.

Like Dreamcast, she looked like an older teenager. She had black hair that fell in twin-tails, held by pink scrunchies. Her left eye was green while her right eye was blue. She wore a silver and pink-rimmed sleeveless jacket over a black and blue-rimmed, one-piece dress. She had bell sleeves that matched her jacket. Her boots were black, with blue oval markings on top and red jagged patterns near the ankles. She also had a large black ring around her neck like a broad collar. She also had two wooden Keyblades on the ground next to her.

"Well, look who it is." she stated, "Look at you, tall, dark and handsome." _Did she really have to say that?_ Cypress thought to himself, his face blushing a bit. "But never mind that." the teacher continued, "You ready to train hard, Cypress?" "Yes, Mrs. Saturn." Cypress answered, "What would you like me to do first?"

"Let's see here…" Saturn muttered, looking at all the equipment, then spotting the one with multiple layers of rotating wooden bars. "Got it!" Saturn decided, pointing to the device, "Let's see how well you do on that." "Okay." Cypress answered, walking over to the device. He pulled out his Moonthorn Keyblade, and got into his ready position.

_(Cue inFAMOUS 2 OST 'Overcharge')_

In an instance, Cypress struck all the multiple levels of the rotating bars, making them starting to rotate. They kept circling around towards him again, but Cypress struck them before they got close. He wasn't displaying any hesitancy nor any wasted movements in his attacks, but he kept striking harder and harder with each strike, making the bars spin faster and faster. Saturn watched him go, not showing any change in her expression.

After a minute of training, Cypress sliced through the machine, cutting it in half, then leapt away from the remaining rotating bars, coming to a standstill. "Impressive work, Cypress." Saturn told him, walking over to the machine. She raised a hand and snapped her fingers. Within a few seconds, there was a sparkling of lights, and the machine reverted back to how it was before.

"You've certainly gotten stronger since the last time you were here." Saturn told Cypress, "Though, your expression isn't a happy one. Mind telling me what's wrong?" "Nothing's wrong." Cypress answered, "I just don't congratulate myself for achieving stuff like that. I should keep getting stronger and stronger so I can take on any enemy in my path…"

Saturn sighed a bit, then reached out and pinched both of Cypress' cheeks, pulling them into a distorted smile. "So serious…" she muttered as Cypress flailed his hands around. He grabbed Saturn's arms, and pulled her hands away from him. "What did you do that for?!" Cypress demanded, rubbing his pinched cheeks. "It's okay to get serious in a fight." Saturn responded, "But keep doing it outside of a fight, and you'll never enjoy life. Not only that, but the ladies won't like you."

"I'm not here to pick up chicks!" Cypress barked, his face flushing, "I came here to become a Keyblade Master!" "And what would you do after that?" Saturn asked. Cypress' expression calmed into questionable. "If you become a Keyblade Master, what would you do after that?" Saturn asked him.

Cypress paused to think about it, then replied, "I just…want to make sure I'm strong enough." Cypress answered. "To do what, exactly?" Saturn asked him with a calm expression. "To protect the people who matter." Cypress answered, thinking about a figure of a person that he knew. A girl with long, red hair, darker and longer than Latias', braided around the top.

Saturn looked at Cypress' expression, and felt the seriousness he bared. She sighed, then picked up one of the wooden Keyblades she placed down, and tossed it to Cypress. He saw it, and took it almost immediately.

"Fight with me, Cypress." Saturn told him, raising her wooden weapon into a fighter's stance. "What?" Cypress questioned. "Fight with me, and show me your resolve." Saturn told him, "It's obvious something happened to you before you came to this academy, but I want to see just how far you will go. Fight me like I was your enemy, and I'll do the same, okay?"

Cypress nodded in agreement, and readied his stance. The two stood aways from one another for a few seconds, then they charged at one another. They clashed blades, and the fighting between the two begun.

Saturn was a valiant fighter, despite not being able to use the Keyblade. However, Cypress wasn't gonna give an inch, either. Saturn may have had the experience, but Cypress had the determination. As such, they were evenly matched as they continued to fight one another.

After about five minutes, the two were back to where they started, panting heavily. "I'm starting to see what kind of burden you bear." Saturn stated. "What burden?" Cypress asked, confused. What did she know about his burden? "Everyone has their own reason to fight, and it is shown through their fighting." Saturn explained, lowering her guard, "If someone didn't have that kind of burden, then they wouldn't be able to fight like you would. And the stronger the burden, the stronger the person fights."

Cypress lowered his own guard, and looked at his weapon. He'd had been taught before that his strength comes from the heart, but he had never understood the reason how. Now, he could understand that it's what he strives for is what makes him strong, and what he holds in his heart. He smiled at this thought.

"Guess I am holding in a lot of things." He stated, "Jackson and Latias do say I am moody, but it's only because I have a lot of things in my heart." "They are your friends. They are always there to help you out with your troubles." Saturn pointed out, "After all, I would do the same for either of my friends." Cypress nodded in agreement, and the two started to laugh. For some reason, they found talking about their friends made them laugh.

* * *

While the two boys arrived to their stations, Latias opened one of the tall double doors, and entered into the Magic Hall. It was a large room, dimly lit with candles. There were books along the shelfs on the walls, sorted out by the elements of magic and their level of strength. Latias would often come here to study her spells. It was also big enough to practice magic, along with protective barriers if she misfired. In the middle of the room, reading a book with one hand, was the teacher that was waiting for her.

Like the other teachers, she was an older teenager. She long blond hair with a black hair clip attached to one side. She had red eyes, and she wore red-rimmed glasses. She wore a long black and pink coat that had bell sleeves and reached her knees, a gray, skimpy shirt with blue buttons underneath, and black and white shorts with pink pockets. She also wore black high tops that had pieces of pink and blue in them, and white soles. She also wore a gold badge on her coat.

She looked up from her book as Latias approached her. "Ah, so you are the first one I have to deal with." the woman spoke up. "Pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Drive." Latias greeted the woman, "I'm ready to practice." Drive snapped her book shut, and placed it under her arm. "Then let us not waste any time now." she told Latias, "Let us begin your training."

Drive raised her free hand, and thrusted it to one side. Several hexagon-shaped pink energies appeared around the room, floating in midair, made for target practice. "As you know, magic is a powerful source of energy." Drive explained, "One doesn't just cast its' energy willy-nilly, but they can also create multiple elements from them. Please demonstrate for me what you can do." "Of course." Latias answered, and she turned to the nearest target to begin.

_(Cue Sonic Lost World 'Wonder World')_

She started off with a Fire spell, which she launched from her Keyblade, the Crimson Passion. It struck the barrier, making it turn red. She then turned to the next barrier and sent the Thunder spell right down upon it, turning it yellow. Finally, she turned to the one next to the last and shot a Water spell at it, making it turn aqua-blue. She did these spells continuously on all the targets until there wasn't a single pink-colored one remaining.

"Nicely done." Drive told Latias as she walked towards her again, "I see you are skilled in three elements so far." "I plan to learn more as time goes on, but there is one element I refuse to learn." Latias told Drive.

"It is ice, isn't it?" Drive guessed, "You still dislike the element?" "I have some…trouble dealing with that element." Latias stated, looking to one side. "Fearing an element isn't a bad thing, but overcoming it is an important lesson." Drive told Latias, turning away and raising her hand forward. She shot a Blizzard spell at one of the aqua-blue targets, making it into ice-blue. Latias crossed her arms, shivering a bit.

"Now…" Drive started, turning back to Latias, "It's time to test your Shotlock skills." Drive waved her hand in the air, and the targets shifted through the air, all grouping up aways from the two. "See how many you can hit from here." Drive ordered Latias. She nodded in approval, and focused herself.

Latias pointed her Keyblade forward, and her eyes glowed as she carefully targeted as many as she could. Finally, she shouted, _"Shotlock: Bubble Blaster!"_ She sent several large bubbles shot from her Keyblade, hitting the targets at random. Latias then encased herself in a larger bubble, shooting more and more bubbles as she could, hitting all the targets in her line of sight until her attack was over.

"Very well done, Latias." Drive told Latias, who smiled at her work, "I can tell you've been practicing your techniques since the last time we were together." "I'm not strong physically, so I should learn to be strong magically." Latias explained, "Mistress Gretinal has been very resourceful on teaching me all sorts of magic."

"From what I've heard, you are very reliant and reliable of her." Drive informed Latias, "However, you seem to have trouble leading or training by yourself." Latias blushed at this. It was true. As good as she was, she had a problem of self-training, since she was worried about making irreparable damage without having someone tell her how to do something. She would even ask Jackson or Cypress to at least be there just for moral support.

"You should have more confidence in yourself, Latias." said Drive, "Gretinal believes you have a strong gift in using the Keyblade, but you seem to fall short with dealing with troubles on your own or leading others." "But I don't know if what I do is the right thing or not unless I have someone with me, teaching me how to master the skills." Latias responded, "I look up to Gretinal as someone who is strong and caring. She is someone that I wish to be."

"You know that is impossible to do." Drive warned Latias, who looked surprise at this, "You can never be someone else BUT you. No two hearts are the same, no matter where I go in my travels. I know I can't be like Dreamcast or Saturn, but they can't be like me, either. We use the skills that are unique to us to help each other out in many situations. That's what it means to help lead people."

Latias thought about that. Drive was right; Latias wasn't as athletic as Jackson, nor as strong as Cypress. However, she knew that she was a better magic-user than the other two. Having people to rely on, and have them rely on her, was something she wanted to strive towards, as well.

"So, will you learn how to be reliable on yourself and for your friends in the future?" Drive asked Latias. She nodded in response. "I'll try." she answered. "Trying isn't enough." Drive warned her, "Doing is more important." "Then…I'll do it." Latias corrected her words, "I will become more reliable." Drive smiled and nodded. "That's all I ask of you." she finished, "Now, let's get back to training again." Latias nodded in agreement, then got back into training with Drive.

* * *

**Mid-Day**

Back at the Great Hall, Jackson, Cypress and Latias were having their lunch, now that their sessions were over with for the morning. "Man, am I exhausted." Jackson sighed, laying back on his seat, "I started off okay, but all that combat training and obstacle course wore me down, and I ended up not doing so well in my magic…" "Jackson, you over-exert yourself too quickly." Latias scolded him, "You should pace yourself better."

"Patience is not my best virtue." Jackson quoted, "What about you, Latias? I know your magic is awesome, but what about the physical things?" "I did pretty well in the obstacle course." Latias answered, but blushed as she said, "However, I still need to practice on my Keyblade combat skills."

"You should try training yourself better." Cypress told Latias, "You aren't as strong as I am in combat training. I'll give you a few pointers, if you want." This made Jackson jealous of Cypress. "I might take you up on that offer, if you train harder on overcoming obstacles." Latias retorted, making Cypress flinch, "I heard you were the slowest out of the three of us." Jackson snickered at this, while Cypress gritted his teeth and mumbled about how the course kept changing patterns or the rope bridge was always shifting.

"In any case, we do know what our greatest strengths are, and what we need to improve on for later." Latias informed them, "But even so, we all can back each other up on our strengths." "You're right about that." Jackson agreed, "Cypress is our 'up-front and personal' fighter, Latias is our mage master, and I'm the speed blader of the crew!" "You couldn't shorten my title?" Cypress asked, "But yeah, I guess I can live with that."

"Say, how 'bout after lunch, we go out and spar against one another?" Jackson requested, looking to Cypress, "Winner takes the other's dessert?" Cypress smirked at this. "You are so on." he answered.

"But what about the Mistress?" Latias asked in a worried manner. "She's busy speaking with our teachers." Jackson responded, "Besides, sparring is just as much training as is anything else we had today. You should join in on the fun." "Oh, so now its' someone gets ALL of the desserts, now?" Cypress asked. "Well, the winner of that will get a stomachache, for sure." Latias chuckled. "I've got a sweet tooth that can't be beaten!" Jackson declared, rising from his seat, "Let's see whose the best!" Cypress and Latias smirked at him. His energetic demeanor could spread like wildfire.

* * *

At Gretinal's office, Gretinal sat in her seat, having a cup of tea. Dreamcast, Saturn and Drive were standing in front of her desk, waiting to be spoken to. "Your students have all improved quite a bit since we last saw them." Drive informed Gretinal. "Their physical prowess is very good." Saturn added, with Dreamcast nodding eagerly in agreement.

"I'm glad you approve of their efforts." Gretinal answered, smiling softly, "Now, how to you find the students, personality-wise?" "Well, they are all certainly different in their own ways." Saturn stated as the other two girls giggled, "Cypress is quite a serious character. He demonstrates how far he will go through his combat. I'd suggest helping him find ways to loosen up a bit. Overcoming himself with power could cause problems."

"Oh, he is still a child. He'll understand his weaknesses in due time." Gretinal said calmly, taking a sip of tea, "Now, what is your opinion on our newest recruit?" "You mean Latias?" Dreamcast asked. "She has gotten incredibly smart for a girl her age." Drive answered, "She does think highly of you, Gretinal, that's for sure. However, that also shows that she lacks working for herself. She is too clingy for support from others."

"There's nothing wrong with wanting help from your friends, don't you agree?" Gretinal asked, "After all, the three of you count on one another all the time." "Th-that's true." Drive agreed hesitantly. "I'm sure she will find her confidence to fight for herself in due time." Gretinal continued, "All she wants to do is learn from me, and there is no problem in that."

"Ooh! Ooh!" Dreamcast squeaked, raising her hand, "Can I give my opinion on Jackson?" "You can." Gretinal answered, "Though it isn't like he doesn't show who he is, already." "That's for sure." Saturn chuckled. "He has got to be the most energetic Keyblade wielder I've ever seen." Drive sighed.

"He may be a little impatient." Dreamcast agreed, making her two friends think '_Little?_', "But his positive attitude is infectious. And he isn't afraid to go beyond his skills. If you ask me, he's improved the most out of the others." "Jackson is a gifted Keyblade wielder, no doubt." Saturn agreed, "Despite his…condition, he never seems to shy off his grin."

Gretinal looked down a bit, thinking. "Yes…" she agreed, "That light of happiness in his heart is solely the reason he has that 'condition'." She thought for a moment on the condition she was talking about. She also recalled her dear friend, Palutena, who also shared that same condition. She wondered about if she should have to worry about this condition anytime, soon.

"Mistress Gretinal?" Drive asked. Gretinal shook herself from her thoughts, and looked up. "Pardon me." she stated, "Now, give me the information you gathered about the other worlds." The three girls got serious at this point. "Well, it is just as you guessed before." Saturn answered, "There is a darkness that is starting to spread throughout the worlds. And it has already claimed several worlds, swallowing them into the darkness."

Gretinal closed her eyes, sighing in disbelief. "I had hoped my visions were wrong, this time." she muttered, "To think this might come to pass. The Heartless now try to attack our own dimension." "And it isn't just Heartless." Dreamcast added, getting Gretinal's attention. "According to what I've researched, we are dealing with more than just one kind of darkness." Drive answered, flipping open her book and coming to a page with a certain mark on it, "The Unversed."

Gretinal was surprised at this. "Unversed? But that's impossible." she stated, "The Unversed haven't appeared in the last twelve years. And the only source they would have come from was already stopped in the other dimension." Gretinal placed down her tea, and held her hands in prayer. "This is very troublesome." she muttered, "If nothing is done about this, then the dimension is in grave peril."

"What about those individuals you spoke of?" Dreamcast asked, "You know, the ones who's powers were awoken in the other dimension?" "Their hearts have already left for the other dimension." Gretinal answered, "Their world hasn't been affected by this, yet. And besides…" she looked out the window, seeing the sky, and detecting her students outside, "They're having a good time, right now. We shouldn't spoil it at the moment." "For a Keyblade Master, you sure are relaxed about all of this." Drive sighed with a sweat-dropped expression.

* * *

Jackson, Cypress and Latias stepped out of the castle, coming to the place where they had their sparring matches; The only part of the grounds that had only dirt. Cypress and Jackson went to either side of the field while Latias stood to the side edge of the field, acting as referee.

"Two days ago, I flat out defeated you in our last sparring match." Cypress reminded Jackson, pulling out his Moonthorn Keyblade. "Yeah, only because you got lucky!" Jackson retorted, summoning his Grandwave Keyblade. The two readied themselves, waiting for the signal. Latias paused, waiting to see if both boys were ready to fight. She then raised her hand up high, shouting, "Begin the match!"

_(Cue KH:BBS 'OST Future Masters')_

Jackson made the first move. He charged in at Cypress, leapt forward and swung his Keyblade. Cypress blocked it. Jackson quickly struck at a different angle, but Cypress blocked again. Jackson landed onto the ground again and quickly dashed to one side, hoping to get at Cypress from the side. He swung, but Cypress blocked it.

_"Fire!"_ Cypress shouted, summoning a ring of flames. Jackson backed off, then unleashed Aero at Cypress, blowing away his flames. "Gotcha!" Jackson shouted, and he unleashed his Sliding Dash technique. Cypress blocked him with his Keyblade, but he was sent skidding backwards several meters away. "Guess I should go on the offensive." he told himself, and he charged at Jackson.

The two boys ensued with a battle worthy above their ages. Cypress was the better fighter, unleashing from his Fire spell to his Quick Blitz and Aerial Slam techniques. Jackson met Cypress' fighting capabilities with his own footwork, utilizing his evasiveness, his Aero spell, and his Sliding Dash and Strike Raid techniques.

Throughout their battle, Latias would watch their fight, shouting out tips or warnings to the two boys. "Jackson, you are leaving too many openings in your attacks!" "Cypress, you're using too much force there." "Time your magic better, boys!" These pieces of info either helped the two fighters or annoyed them. Either way, both Jackson and Cypress kept coming at one another.

"I'm not finished yet!" Jackson shouted, aiming his Keyblade at Cypress, his eyes glowing green. Cypress saw what he was attempting, and aimed his Keyblade at Jackson, his eyes glowing the same hue. Latias watched them charge up for a couple seconds, then both shouted simultaneously, "_Shotlock!_" "_Lightning Ray!_" Jackson shouted, cloaking his body in electrical energy and charging forward. "_Sonic Shadow!_" Cypress shouted, cloaking himself in a dark aura, then dashing. The two came at one another, striking, disappearing, then reappearing in another part of the field, clashing. They continued this several more times, clashing all over the place, neither side giving an inch.

On their tenth clash, Jackson and Cypress came at one another, roaring war cries as they were about to clash. Just then, an explosion appeared from in between them, sending the two boys flying backwards, ending their Shotlock. They landed on their backs, groaning. Latias gasped in shock, looking at the two boys, then seeing someone reappear from the explosion. Based on his physical features, he looked like he was a teenager, but he wore a black visor, so it was hard to depict his actual age. He also wore a black and red organic-looking bodysuit.

Jackson and Cypress sat up to see the intruder, who looked at the three students, from Latias, to Cypress, and finally to Jackson. "Did I interrupt your little fight?" the boy asked. "Who are you?!" Jackson demanded, rising to his feet again, and readying his Keyblade. Cypress did the same on the opposite end. Latias looked afraid at the sight of the boy.

"I see that the three of you are able to wield Keyblades." the boy stated, seeing the weapons the boys carried, "Pathetic. You three are suppose to become Keyblade Masters? With skills like those, I'm surprised you are even here."

"Shut it!" Cypress shouted, "Answer the question, or else!" "Oh, so you are ORDERING me to answer." the boy stated, "I am not interested in answering anything. All you need to know is that I'm here to take something back for my master."

He produced a Keyblade in his hand, and raised it into his battle stance. "A Keyblade?!" Latias gasped. "That's the Void Gear Keyblade!" Jackson analyzed, "That's a seriously dark Keyblade you have there." The two boys readied to fight the masked boy. Latias looked at the two boys, and she got serious as she produced her Crimson Passion, and held it to one side, her free hand in front of her face, palm forward. The three knew this person, whoever he was, was not gonna be an easy opponent.

* * *

Inside the castle, within the Magic Hall, a black portal opened up, and out came a man in a green cloak and hood, shielding his face from view. He walked towards the tall bookshelves, looking up at the numerous amounts of books above.

He paused as he looked up at the shelf, seeing all the books that were there. Finally, he spotted what book he was looking for. He raised a hand, and a dark aura glowed from it. A book got swept out of its' place, almost like a gust of wind pulled it out. The book was brown and ancient, like it had been written centuries ago. It had the golden crest of Kingdom Hearts upon its' cover.

The book floated down towards the man, who reached up and took it from the air. He then opened its' pages, scanning through the ancient book. He stopped at one page and read it. "So my research was true…" he told himself, "The way of unlocking Kingdom Hearts is just as I predicted." He continued to read through the book, then stopped at one point. "Hmm…So this is what was missed." he continued, "Four more lights, three more darkness. He was apparently off by a few pieces."

He snapped the book shut, then he spoke up, "If you were trying to sneak up on me, you have a poor way of doing it." He was referring to the people behind him; Gretinal and the three young teachers. Gretinal had her Keyblade produced and held in both hands. "Your heart is consumed with a dark aura." Gretinal noticed in a harsh tone, "You are not welcome here. Begone from this world!"

The cloaked man turned to the women, tossing the book aside. "You should know better than to raise your Keyblade at me." he warned her, "Even a Keyblade Master such as yourself has no chance against my power of darkness." "I have faced overconfident fools like you, before." Gretinal retorted, "And like yourself, they underestimated the power of light."

Gretinal turned to Dreamcast, Drive and Saturn. "Go check on my students. Make sure they are safe." "Right!" the trio answered, and they exited the room.

Gretinal turned back to the man before her, who spread his arms out, producing two weapons from dark wind; Mid-handled blades, the deep green blades that ran down the guard looked somewhat like fairy wings. The blades radiated with dark energy, and both blades had the blue Eyes of Darkness near the guard. "If you think I am being overconfident, then you are surely mistaken." the man stated, getting into a fighter's stance. The two adults were ready to fight.

* * *

_(Cue KHBBS OST 'Vanitas Theme')_

Outside the castle, Jackson got knocked back by the masked boy by a slash from his Keyblade. Cypress saw Jackson fall right next to him, snarled at the masked boy, and charged forward. He attempted to swipe at him, but he ended up hitting the boy's afterimage. He came came from one side, and struck Cypress, sending him tumbling aways.

Latias knew she couldn't just stand around. She shot her Watera spell at the boy. He saw it coming, and dove underground. Latias looked around, wondering where the boy went. She realized, too late, that he was beneath her, and he erupted from the ground, sending Latias screaming in pain as she flew through the air.

"Oh, no you don't, you visor-wearing freak!" Jackson barked as he and Cypress rose to their feet. They charged simultaneously at the boy, who huffed in amusement at their attempt to attack him. He leapt up and unleashed his Dark Thundaga onto the boys. Cypress and Jackson shielded themselves with their Keyblades as the lightning passed all around him, leaving marks all around the ground.

The masked boy then shot fireballs at the two, which struck the two, causing an explosion and sending them flying in pain. They skidded to a halt on their backs, injured. Latias had already fell aways from them, struggling to get up. The masked boy landed on the ground aways from them, watching in amusement. "What a waste." he huffed, "And here I thought that the three of you would be a challenge. I guess I was wrong to think that."

Just then, Dreamcast, Drive and Saturn raced out of the doors, only to see what had happened to the three students. "Jackson!" cried a panicked Dreamcast. "Cypress!" gasped Saturn. "Latias!" Drive called out, watching Latias stumble to one knee. "Ah, so I take it you must be their teachers?" the masked boy asked the three girls, "This might just be the challenge I've been looking for." He started to walk towards the three girls, who were about ready to fight with the boy.

Just then, an empty potion bottle hit the masked boy in the back of the head. He stopped and turned around. Jackson was on his feet again, panting, having just taken the bottle's contents. "Don't you dare get THEM involved with OUR fight!" Jackson snapped at the boy.

"Jackson, don't provoke him!" Drive warned him, "You can't fight a person at his level!" "She's right." the boy agreed, "You don't have what it takes to beat me, so why not just lie down with the other two." "Who…said I was gonna stay down?" moaned Cypress, rising to his feet, drinking a potion himself, "I am far from being beaten, you can be sure of that." Latias took a drink of her potion, and got back on her feet, too.

"You certainly are stubborn, I'll give you that." the masked boy stated, watching the trio group together, "But what can you do? You don't realize that you three are just flecks of dust compared to the mass amount of powerful characters in all the worlds." "Heh, so we're flecks of dusts, huh?" Jackson chuckled, "In that case, we'll just go up your nose, and make you sneeze like crazy!"

"You're missing the point." the masked boy sighed, "I'm telling you that the three of you are weak. Why do you intend to fight me, when you know you don't stand a chance?" "Who says that?" Jackson retorted, "I didn't. I believe I can do it, and my belief will be my power that beats you!" "Jackson…" Dreamcast muttered, remembering the lesson she gave him.

The masked boy laughed at that statement. "So it is your belief that makes you strong?" he asked in an amused manner, "They are nothing but empty wishes. How are they the things that give you strength?" "Wishes. Hopes. Burdens." Cypress listed, "They are the things engraved in your heart that help you become stronger. The stronger they are, the more powerful you fight. Jackson's may be an idiot on occasions, but he aims high." "Hey!" Jackson snapped. Saturn giggled at this.

"Your burdens and wishes are there, but what happens when you can't achieve them?" the boy asked, "What happens when those things are impossible to reach?" "You then count on your friends to help you reach them." Latias answered, "We are limited and not as confident on our own, but when we work together, we utilize each other's strengths, overcome their weaknesses, and reach our goals together with what our hearts bear!" Drive nodded in approval at Latias' words.

"Looks like my words won't put a dent in your hearts." the boy growled, "Might as well use force, then." "Latias, Cypress." Jackson called to his two friends, "Let's do what we said before; I'll be the 'blade runner', Latias is our 'mage master', and Cypress…" "I gotcha." Cypress agreed, "I'll be your 'front fighter'." Jackson smirked in response. Latias smiled in agreement. "Let's blade things up a notch, then!" Jackson shouted, the trio ready to fight.

Jackson and Cypress instantly ran forward. Jackson got to the masked boy first, clashing with his Keyblade. The boy blocked a couple attacks, then used his afterimage, attempting to strike at Jackson from above. Cypress jumped as he got close, and slashed at the boy, sending him into the ground. As soon as he hit the ground, Latias unleashed her Thunder spell, shocking him.

The masked boy flipped upside down and dove underground. The trio looked around, wondering where he was going to. Latias felt the warmth at her feet, and jumped upwards as the masked boy leapt out of the ground, sending a scattering of fireballs all around, making Jackson and Cypress back off.

Latias saw the masked boy pursue her in midair, and she utilized her Keyblade's ability, Aerial Boost, increasing her aerial attack strength. Latias begun clashing with the masked boy, and it was through this that Latias started to realize he wouldn't dodge with his afterimage in midair. Or rather, he couldn't. This gave Latias an idea as the masked boy unleashed his Dark Thundaga on her, shocking her and sending her back to the ground. This added to her idea on how to finish him.

Latias got to her feet as Jackson and Cypress came to her aid. "You okay?" Cypress asked as the masked boy landed aways from them. "I'll be fine." Latias answered, "But I've got a plan. Cypress, can you send that guy into the air?" "With an Aerial Slam, it shouldn't be a problem." Cypress answered, looking to the masked boy, "I'll get started on it." As Cypress took off, Jackson turned to Latias and asked, "So what do you have in mind?" Latias smirked with the plan she concocted.

Cypress and the masked boy were going at it, clashing blade for blade as they tried to beat one another. Cypress was starting to show more aggression in his attack, finally making an opening for himself. He unleashed his Aerial Slam technique, sending the masked boy high into the air. Cypress ducked out as Jackson and Latias were focused on the masked boy, their Keyblades locked onto him.

"On my cue, okay?" Latias told Jackson, who nodded in response. She then shouted, "_Shotlock! Bubble Blaster!_" She started firing a round of bubbles at the masked boy high above them. He couldn't avoid the attack as it started to get closer. "Now!" Latias shouted to Jackson. "_Shotlock! Lightning Ray!_" Jackson shouted, and he was coated in lightning as he shot at the masked boy. As he passed the bubbles, his lightning electrified the bubbles.

He shot at the masked boy, piercing right through him like a bolt of lightning, followed by the electrified bubbles that started damaging and paralyzing him. Jackson continued his assault, electrifying more bubbles and damaging the masked boy at the same time. And because they maxed out their locked skill, they added more strikes to their attack, which meant more Lightning Ray strikes and bubble shots. Jackson flew back down to Latias' side as Cypress joined them, and the trio watched as the masked boy fell to the ground, producing a large dust cloud.

The trio were panting from exhaustion, but they looked at one another, pleased with the results. "We did it!" Jackson cheered. "Great thinking there, Latias." Cypress commended. Latias giggled in response.

The three teachers watched the trio, surprised and pleased at the results. "Those three have gotten better." Drive stated. "They have learned their lessons well, and were able to overcome this masked boy's power." Saturn added, "That being said, he is a powerful opponent. I don't think he will give the children too much of a pause." "What do you mean?" Dreamcast asked, "That last attack should've beaten him. He can't be that powerful, can he?"

Jackson, Cypress and Latias all watched the dust cloud still lingering where the boy fell. Cypress grimaced, and Jackson noticed him. "What's wrong?" he asked. "I don't know." Cypress answered, "But I get the feeling he got knocked back too easily." Both Jackson and Latias looked confused at this. "What are you talking about?" Jackson asked, "He's toast! There's no way he could've survived that!"

Just as he finished his sentence, Jackson and the others heard a maniacal laugh coming from the dust cloud. Jackson and Latias looked surprised. Cypress got ready to fight. The three teachers looked concern. He was not down yet.

Three fireballs shot out of the dust cloud, hitting the three students and sending them toppling backwards. They rose to their feet, struggling a bit, and they watched as the masked boy blew away the smoke with a swipe of his Keyblade. "Not bad." the masked boy told the trio, "But not good either. You still deserve a reward, anyway."

He raised his Keyblade into his fighting stance again. "Remember my name well, all of you. It is something you should never forget." He lunged forward quickly at the three students as he said his name to them.

"Vanitas…"

* * *

Inside the Magic Hall, Gretinal and the cloaked figure still continued to fight. Gretinal could tell this man wasn't making idle threats when he was saying how strong he was. It was more than she realized. Needless to say, Gretinal wasn't going easy on him, either. She was giving the hooded man a hard time, as well.

"I guess there's a reason after all that you are called a Keyblade Master." the man told Gretinal, "Your control over light is quite strong." "As is your power of darkness." Gretinal answered back, raising her Keyblade, "However, I feel it essential as to ask what was it you were intending to read here?" The hooded figure smiled in response. "Why, the Keys of Darkness, of course." he answered.

Gretinal looked shocked at this. The Keys of Darkness? The keys that were locked away within the hearts of the eleven guardians of old, now transcending into their chosen vessels? "That power is forbidden darkness that should never be touched!" she shouted at the man, "Do you even know what they are capable of?!" "Of course." the hooded man responded, "It will open the doorway to my prize; Kingdom Hearts. And right now, my journey to gathering them is about to start as we speak."

The hooded man placed one of his weapons away, and thrusted his hand forward. A black portal opened behind Gretinal, drawing her attention. The man then sent a strong gust of wind at Gretinal, who turned too late, and got swept into the portal. The man pursued her into the portal, which disappeared behind him.

The portal opened up again, this time appearing in the front gardens of the castle. Gretinal came skidding out of it, stopping herself meters away. The hooded man stepped out of the portal as Gretinal looked about, wondering why the man brought her here. An explosion caught her attention, and she turned and gasped in shocked. Jackson, Latias, Cypress and the three teachers were scattered about on the grounds, injured by Vanitas, who stood in the center of the damage.

"What have you done?!" Gretinal demanded, shocked at the destruction. "I was killing some time, among other things." Vanitas answered, "So, Master, did you get what you were looking for?" "Indeed." the hooded man answered. "Master?" Gretinal echoed, looking from the man to Vanitas.

Jackson tried his best to get to his feet, but he collapsed onto his hands and knees. "Dammit all!" Jackson moaned. "He's…too powerful." Latias sobbed, tears of terror falling down her face. Cypress groaned as he struggled to move. The three teachers were helping each other up, not as injured as the trio.

"Vanitas, that boy there…" the hooded man pointed to Jackson, "He has one of them. Take it from him!" "Of course." Vanitas answered, waving his Keyblade at Jackson. "You will not!" Gretinal answered, ready to charge at Vanitas. The hooded figure appeared behind Gretinal, who turned at his sudden presence. He slashed at her, and a large cut went right down her left arm, dark smoke appearing from the injury. Gretinal howled in pain, feeling the dark powers the man possessed. The man smirked mischievously.

A beam of dark light appeared from Vanitas' Keyblade, and a beam of the same light shot at Jackson, striking him in the chest. Jackson gasped in pain, paralyzed by the beam hitting him. Latias and Cypress were shocked by this attack. Vanitas pulled his Keyblade back, and a black orb with a distorted form of the Greek symbol of courage appeared from Jackson's chest, pulling his chest forward. Then as it left Jackson's chest, he toppled backwards, and remained motionless on the ground.

"Jackson!" shouted Latias and Cypress, finding the desperate energy to race over to Jackson's side. Gretinal was in pain and horrified as she looked from her two students holding up the unconscious Jackson, to Vanitas, who now clutched the Key of Darkness in his hand.

"So this is the Key of Darkness." Vanitas examined, "Very interesting." "That symbol represents it as the Key of Fear." the hooded man stated, suddenly reappearing next to Vanitas. Gretinal looked stunned at his appearance. _That flow of darkness._ she thought to herself, _I can't believe I didn't see it before. If he really is that strong, why wasn't the person he was before stronger as well?_

Gretinal readied her Keyblade, but was unable to grip with her injured arm. She shot at Vanitas and the hooded man, leaping over her students at her haste. She attempted to do a downward strike, but Vanitas stepped in, and easily disarmed Gretinal, sending her backwards.

Gretinal fell to one knee, grasping her arm, her Keyblade stuck tip-first into the ground. Cypress and Latias watched, horrified at seeing their mistress defeated. Gretinal looked back at her students, the expression on her face told them how sorry she was for not protecting them better. Jackson was still unconscious through all this.

"I have already taken your world's Key of Darkness." the hooded man told Gretinal, bringing her attention back to the Key of Fear in his hand. Gretinal sneered at the two enemies, then she demanded, "Why do you attempt on opening the barrier to Kingdom Hearts?! What purpose would you gain from it? You'll only spread the darkness that the great protectors of long ago sealed away!"

The man chuckled at this statement. He raised his hands, and pulled the hood off of his face. He looked like a middle-aged man, with muddy blonde hair that nearly reached his shoulders. His eyes were a piercing yellow. He also had on a yellow cumber bun collar around his neck.

"It is the darkness that I seek." he told Gretinal, "Once I have claimed Kingdom Hearts, all ties to one another will be severed. I shall control all the hearts of this dimension, so that no one can even be with one another, nor even remember one another. The despair and loneliness as they are under my control will be the only things they feel." With that, the man turned around and opened up a black portal. He and Vanitas walked right through it and disappeared from the group.

Gretinal knelt there, holding her injured arm, which glowed red from the scar. She gritted her teeth, looked downward, and closed her eyes. Latias, Cypress, Dreamcast, Drive and Saturn could only watch as Gretinal was motionless, the only things they could see were the tears that poured from her eyes.

* * *

Inside the Corridor of Darkness, the man and Vanitas walked along the pathway, then coming to a stop. "So we now have one of the Keys of Darkness." Vanitas stated to his master, "What now?" "Now, we begin our search." the man answered, turning to Vanitas, "However, we cannot do this all alone. We must gain 'aid' from the other dimension to do so." "You mean the evil fairy and her fat feline?" Vanitas asked, scoffing at the idea, "This'll be a laugh, at least."

"We cannot fight a battle recklessly." the man warned Vanitas, "Assistance is the key to winning any situation. Of course, when all is said and done, they will be of no use to us. They'll have to be terminated." Vanitas nodded in approval.

"And what about the Keyblade's chosen ones?" Vanitas asked. "Once the pieces are set, we shall warn them of what is happening here." the man responded, "After all, I still need to exact my revenge on the ones from that world. Though I may have forgotten what they have done, the anger towards them has never faded away." The man and Vanitas continued on their path, going to the other dimension. _I might as well have some fun with her, too._ Vanitas thought to himself, _For my former master's wishes, I must bring her to her knees._

* * *

**The Evening**

Inside Gretinal's office, Gretinal sat at her desk, her injured arm in a sling she now crafted into her coat. Cypress and Latias sat in two seats, watching Jackson, who had went from unconscious to sleep. Gretinal had already asked Dreamcast, Saturn and Drive to repair the castle and make sure no one else was injured.

"Is Jackson gonna be okay?" Cypress asked. "He will be fine." Gretinal answered, "Removing the Key of Darkness from the person's body is excruciating, but not life-threatening. He might wake up at any moment."

"Mistress Gretinal." Latias addressed her, "You knew Jackson had that black key in him, didn't you?" Cypress looked from Latias to Gretinal, who sighed. "Yes, I did." she answered, "The Keys of Darkness are ancient tools that were removed from a powerful darkness that shields Kingdom Hearts from us. According to what I know, the Keys are bestowed upon those with strong hearts that resist the darkness it brings. Jackson's courageous and uplifting spirit was more than enough to quell the dark powers of the Key of Fear in his heart."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Cypress asked, "We should've done something to stop them from taking it!" "Cypress!" Latias snapped. "The Keys of Darkness are not only a secret, but also almost non-existent to anyone who hasn't read about it." Gretinal explained, "Even the books that are here only vaguely explain about the Keys of Darkness, in regards to their origins and what it possesses. I'm surprised that our intruders were able to know about them beforehand."

Just then, Jackson snorted a couple times, then he opened his eyes slowly. Latias, Cypress and Gretinal all looked to him, beaming at his reawakening. Jackson then snapped his eyes open and sat up quickly. "I'M NOT THROUGH WITH YOU YET, YOU CREEP!" Jackson shouted, raising his fist and stunning his fellow students. He then looked around, realizing where he was at, and lowered his fist. "As active as ever, I see." Cypress sighed.

"How do you feel, Jackson." Gretinal asked, walking up to him as he got in a proper sitting position on the couch. "Fine, actually." Jackson answered, "As a matter of fact, I'm more than great. I don't know how to explain this, but it's as if I'm suddenly less afraid than I was before, like something in my heart was weighing me down, but it was gone."

"That's the other affect of removing the Key of Darkness from you." Gretinal answered, "The darkness still shows in your heart, but it disappears instantly once removed." Jackson looked up at Gretinal, confused. "What Key of Darkness?" he asked, "And for that matter, where is that Vanitas character? And what happened to your arm?" He noticed the sling on Gretinal's coat.

Latias and Cypress brought Jackson up to speed as to what happened by the time Gretinal arrived and what happened when he was unconscious. "So those guys not only damaged Mistress Gretinal, they also took that Key-thingy out of my heart?" Jackson asked, "You got to be bladin' kidding me! How can this happen?"

"Will your arm get any better, mistress?" Latias asked. "I'm not sure." Gretinal answered, "It was dark powers that injured me, and those always leave scars. I'm not even sure if it will ever recover." Gretinal sighed, but looked at her students' expressions, and added, "But don't worry about me. I was thinking on trying to fight one-handed anyway."

She giggled so as to make her students believe she wasn't worried, but she was fooling not only her students, but herself. If anything, she was more than worried. She was afraid. A man, and a Heartless no less, with a servant with that kind of power could cause that much destruction, and know of the Keys of Darkness was a horrible turn of events. Her students were incapable of going out to stop this. Their teachers weren't Keyblade Wielders. And she was in no condition to stop this single-handedly. As far as she could tell, they were in huge trouble.

Just then, the crystal orb on Gretinal's desk started to shine brightly in the dark room, causing everyone to look abruptly at it. "What's going on?!" Jackson asked. "It must be a vision." Latias realized, "Your orb activates only when something big his happening in the dimension. Is that right, mistress?"

Gretinal raced over to her desk, and placed the orb in front of her. She placed both hands over her orb, waving them as she closed her eyes, reading the vision. The three students watched her do this for a while. Suddenly, their was a loud sound that came from everywhere. It sounded like a deep booming of a keyhole unlocking. "Now what?!" Cypress demanded, looking about.

Gretinal stopped reading, and gasped in surprise. "This is absolutely unforeseen!" she stated. "Why? What happened?!" Jackson demanded. Gretinal calmed herself, then replied, "One of the worlds from the other dimension somehow traveled her by the power of several Keyblade wielders. That includes the ones who's hearts traveled to the other dimension beforehand. Now, they have arrived here, and with many changes."

"So, somehow, an entire world traveled between dimensions, and brought Keyblade wielders with it?!" Jackson demanded. "How is that even possible?" Cypress asked. "I do not know." Gretinal answered calmly, but showed an expression of determination as she continued, "But I believe Kingdom Hearts is answering our prayers. We may yet be able to stop our enemies from freeing the darkness."

She placed her hands on the orb and focused. The orb glowed, and projected several images of people that arrived in the new world. It was composed of a multitude of characters, and among them were Sora, Asuna, Kirito, Donald, Goofy and a human form Yui, all with their hands placed in the center of their circle.

"Our hopes are now in the hands of self-taught Keyblade wielders." Gretinal sighed, "They must gather all their strength and knowledge if they are ever to face the new darkness ahead of them."

"But who are they?" Jackson asked as he, Latias and Cypress walked over to take a closer look at the images of the characters. Gretinal looked up at the six heroes as well. "They are hearts with a dimensional bond." she answered, knowing that they will be able to succeed in protecting Kingdom Hearts.

* * *

**Pretty cool, don't you think? These kids will have a role to play in the far future. Still, they show an in-depth look on the characters, and the beginnings for the SAKII characters to start in the other dimension. The next episode will be a remake on the SAK Ep. 2 in Final Mix, but I will upload Ep. 2 of SAK: Falling Fantasy before that. As usual, leave a reply, tell your friends, and never give up hope! **


	14. The Mysterious Tower! Ep 2 ReMIX!

**As I promised myself, I made a re-adaptation of the original SAK ep. 2, now with more clarified info and a better connected story than before. Let me just tell you that apart from creating a re-adaptation of SAK ep. 1 &amp; 2, I will also do ep. 20, or the Aincrad episode of SAK, since those are the more important changes compared to how I originally created SAK. Hope you enjoy them!**

* * *

_(I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Sword Art Online. All I do is form my imagination from both stories, and share it with the world!)_

**Prologue**

Inside the Mysterious Tower. Yen Sid sat at his desk, his eyes closed. He looked up at the man before him; DiZ. He had just spoken to Yen Sid about what he had done in regards to sending Kirito and Asuna to this dimension.

"So, you have sent these other chosen wielders of the Keyblade into this dimension, to counteract what Organization XIII has done as well." Yen Sid summed up. "It is the only way to prevent what is to come." DiZ answered simply, "To destroy the Organization means we must take extreme measures to counter their actions. And since they have summoned this extra member into their ranks, we must summon more players onto our side, as well."

"Even so, this is a rash decision, aided by your vengeance, no doubt." Yen Sid told Ansem, "Chosen wielders, they may be, they are not ready to fight an enemy of this caliber." "They have faced many challenges in the world they come from." DiZ responded, "They have been tested in many ways, through their strength of body and strength of heart, and have succeeded in both. I believe they are more than capable of joining the fight. Besides, they are close to where Sora is, and he is soon to awaken. With him and his companions joining forces with them, I believe that the Organization will have great trouble bringing them down."

Yen Sid paused, thinking about what he had said. "I may not know of how well they are prepared to face the new challenges in their path, nor believe that this decision is the right choice." Yen Sid stated, "However, I believe this to be the act of destiny for these individuals to join forces with Sora, just as it was fate for Organization XIII to recruit their enemy. When they arrive here, I shall see how they react to being placed on this path, and whether they are ready to face the dangers ahead."

"I am in deep gratitude to you, Yen Sid." DiZ thanked the wizard, "I would also like you to relay a message from me to them. Tell them that I have faith in them conquering whatever dangers they may face, and that I shall meet them again, when the time is right." With that, DiZ exited the room, leaving Yen Sid to watch him leave.

* * *

**Twilight Town**

_(Yui speaking) I remember that day all too well. April 15, 2026. The day when mama, papa and I all took on that one quest called 'Kingdom Hearts', not realizing the significance of what the name would mean to us then. It was there that we fought our first creature of darkness called a Heartless. However, it was not going to be our last. The quest brought us through a digital wormhole, where my parents fell into dreams, and reawakened with the power to use the weapon called the Keyblade. It was on that same day where we met Sora, Donald and Goofy, who would be the greatest friends we could ever gain on this journey…_

_(Cue Opening)_

Asuna stretched her arms upwards as she took in the air. She, Kirito and Yui had just stepped outside of the mansion, along with Sora, Donald, Goofy, Jiminy Cricket. Donald and Goofy were walking around the disheveled front gardens the the mansion, looking about. Yui and Jiminy had hopped onto a concrete birdbath, where they started to talk with one another about who they were

"The fresh air feels so good, right now." Asuna sighed, looking into the twilight sky, "That mansion had pretty stale air." "Yeah, and above from that computer room, everything else looked damaged and abandoned." Kirito noted, "Make's you wonder who lived in this place? Or rather, how long ago did someone live here?"

Sora looked to the two characters with him with curiosity, then up at the mansion. For a moment, he thought the same questions as they did. Then he towards the front gates, to the woods ahead, hearing the toll of a clocktower bell off in the distance. "So, you've never seen this place before?" Sora asked the two. Kirito and Asuna looked to Sora, then to the path ahead. "No. This whole area is totally new to us." Kirito answered. "We don't…even know how to get back home." Asuna added, looking sad.

"Okay…" Sora muttered, a bit confused, "Then how about this; I'll help you guys get back home, okay?" Kirito and Asuna looked stunned at this. "You would do that for us?" Kirito asked, "But you hardly know us, or where we come from."

"That's no reason to not help someone in need. After all, we're all in the same boat." Sora answered, "I still can't find my way back home. And I can't do so until I find my friends. So while I do that, I'll help you guys out."

Kirito and Asuna looked to one another. Sora had that good-feeling vibe about him, and he was willing to help them despite the short amount of time they had met. But even so…

"I don't think you should hold your breath on that." Kirito warned Sora, "See, from what I found out, we aren't exactly from the same…world as here. We're from a different one." Kirito was hesitant to tell this, feeling it would make him look like a crazy person to Sora. Asuna looked hesitant as well. The last thing they wanted to do was give a bad first impression.

"Oh, I see." Sora understood. "Y-You do?" Kirito asked, both he and Asuna were surprised at his simple answer, "You don't find that weird?" "Nah, I've been to a few worlds already." Sora answered, "I've really gotten use to that fact." Kirito and Asuna were now dumbfounded at this point. This boy, who looked a few years younger than the two of them, was claiming he had been to other worlds, and shrugs it off like it was nothing to the two. Just who was he, anyway?

On the bird bath, Yui and Jiminy were exchanging information about one another and about their comrades. "…So in other words, you're Sora's record keeper." Yui summed up Jiminy's role. "That's right. I'm suppose to be the one who keeps all the stuff we went through on our last journey." Jiminy explained, "However, now all the pages are blank, except for those two little words: 'Thank Naminé'."

As Yui pondered on what those words meant, Jiminy said, "Still, your story is a lot more interestin' that mine is. I mean, you being a kind of counselor for those two, who you said were your parents. Just how did that come about?" "Simple. They called me their daughter, and I called them my mama and papa. It's as simple as that." "If you say so." Jiminy sighed, still confused about everything Yui was talking about.

"So what's the name of the world you come from?" Sora asked Kirito and Asuna. "It's Aincrad." Kirito answered, "But it might be impossible to find where it is without finding the person who owned the computer downstairs." Sora did recall passing by that computer on their way outside the mansion. "I guess we should start looking around town, then." Sora decided, "Let's go!" Kirito and Asuna nodded in agreement, and together with Donald, Goofy, Yui and Jiminy, the team exited the mansion gates, and towards the town.

Upon passing through the forest and through the large hole in the wall, the team found themselves within the town. It was a large town, its' architecture somewhat modern Mediterranean style. The setting sun didn't seem to lower or raise itself into the sky, but was kept at the same place. There was a tram that circled a large part of the city. Despite all of this, it was pretty quiet as the team looked about.

"It seems pretty lonely here." Kirito noticed, looking about. "Hey, does anyone want to ride the tram?" Sora asked the team, "It looks like a fun way for us to look about here." "I like the idea." Asuna stated, turning to Kirito, "I've never rode a tram like that before. Let's go on it!" "Okay, okay." Kirito replied, though his hand was already snatched by Asuna as she dragged him towards the oncoming tram.

Sora and Goofy waved for it to stop, and they got onto it. It was a slow ride, but it felt pretty relaxing to the team. They only rode it for a short period before Kirito decided to end the ride, and the team got off the tram, going up the streets outside of the commons.

As they made it to the back streets, Sora stopped and turned to look back at the large city below. The team also stopped to take in the view. "Quite an amazing town." Asuna stated. "Yeah, though the sun not moving anywhere is a bit ominous." Kirito pointed out.

Sora didn't say anything at first, but as the sound of a large bell rang in the distance, telling the time, he said, "You know, I feel like I've been here before." The team looked at Sora. "You know what this town's called?" Asuna asked him. Sora shook his head. "No. But I can't help but feel like I have been in this town before."

The team looked at him, wondering if he was gonna give any clue, then Sora said, "Guess it must be my imagination." Donald, Goofy, Kirito and Asuna all showed signs of the relapse of suspense Sora put them in. They turned back and decided to walk through an open metal gate, to see what was on the other side.

They unveiled a ripped curtain to see an open room that looked like a hangout spot for someone. There were three characters in there, about the same age as Sora. One boy had short, blonde hair, a bit muscular, and was sitting on a heater. Another boy had dark brown hair with a headband around his head, a bit chubby, and was leaning back on some boxes. The third character was a girl with short brown hair, slender, and was resting her heading on her wrists as she sat on a torn-up couch.

The trio looked up to see who had walked in on them. "What do you want?" the blonde-haired boy asked in a warning tone. "Uh, nothing." Sora defended, "We're just wondering what was back here, that's all." "Now you know. This is our spot." the blonde hair boy stated as the chubby boy walked towards the group, looking at each of them.

"What is it?" Asuna asked. "You're…new around here, right?" the chubby boy questioned as his friends joined alongside him, "I'm Pence." "Hayner. Nice to meet you." the blonde hair introduced himself, "But we got stuff to do, so catch ya later." And with that, Hayner walked past them, and out the curtains.

"My name's Olette." the girl introduced herself, "Hey, did you finish up the summer homework yet? Independent studies are the worst, huh?" "Homework?" Sora echoed, looking at his friends. Donald and Goofy shook their heads, having no clue. Kirito looked to Asuna, and shrugged. It was mid-April for them, so they shouldn't have any summer homework.

"Hey, what are your names?" Pence asked the group. "Oh, sorry." Goofy apologized for not introducing themselves sooner, "We're Sora, Donald, Kirito, Asuna, and Goofy." "Hey there." Sora greeted. "Nice to meet you." Kirito added.

Pence and Olette looked to each other, surprised for some reason. "Sora, Donald, Goofy, we just met someone who was looking for you." Olette told the three. "He sure seemed in a hurry." Pence added, "He had a black coat on so I couldn't see his face, but he did have these big round ears." He drew circles above his head, almost like he was indicating mice ears.

Kirito and Asuna looked at Sora, Donald and Goofy as the three pondered on who Pence was talking about. They simultaneously came up with the same solution. "The King!" Donald told the trio, who nodded in agreement. Kirito and Asuna looked at one another. Did these three know a king?

"Where'd you see him?" Sora asked Pence and Olette. "At the station, just up at the top of the hill." Pence answered. "The station! Thanks!" Sora thanked them. "Well, we'd better get back to that assignment." Olette told Pence, and the two walked out of the room, leaving the five individuals alone, with Yui and Jiminy popping out of Kirito and Sora's pockets respectively.

"Oh boy! The King's trying to find us!" Donald cheered. "Who's this king you're talking about?" Asuna asked Goofy. "Oh, King Mickey is a very important person to us." Goofy answered, "Ya see, me and Donald work for King Mickey as the captain of his guard and sorcerer." "Wow!" Asuna gasped.

"Hold on, if that's the case, then why aren't you with him right now?" Kirito asked them. "The King left us when he was searching a way to stop the Heartless." Donald explained, "He left us with a note to find the 'key'." "And we found Sora, who has the key." Goofy finished, pushing Sora in front of him. Sora chuckled in embarrassment.

"Whoa, I didn't know you were THAT special, Sora." Kirito stated in surprise. "Yeah, well I just do what I do to help my friends." Sora stated, "And speaking of which, we should head to the station so we can find the King." "Pence said it was up the hill, so we should go up that way." Kirito recalled, "Let's head there, right away." The team agreed, and they exited the hangout.

They went up the hill, looking for signs of King Mickey, but no luck. Asuna had the decency to ask for directions to the station as fast as possible, and someone told them the quickest route up. The station, as it turns out, was also the clocktower at the top, which could be seen from anywhere in the town. Knowing what it looked like and where to go, the team raced up the hill towards it.

They arrived at the station plaza, which was wide open area in front of the tall clocktower station. They walked to the center of the plaza and looked about. No sign of anyone but them. "You sure he's here?" Kirito asked Sora. "That's what Pence and Olette said." Sora answered, "I wonder where he is?"

Just then several being appeared around the five, startling them. They looked humanoid in figure, silver-white bodies with black stripes on their strand-shaped hands and feet that were pointed. They had no eyes, nose, or ears, but they had a empty hole into their body in their neck, where they could barely recognize the jagged mouth within. All they had was a strange cross symbol on their head.

"What in the world?!" Kirito gasped. "What are these things?!" Asuna asked. "I don't know, but they don't look too friendly." Sora stated, getting ready to fight. Kirito looked to see Goofy summon a round shield with with a mouse-shaped picture in front. Asuna looked to see Donald summon a magical staff that had a blue wizard cap on top of it. _They can summon weapons like we can!_ The two noticed.

They turned to Sora, who was looking curiously at the heads of the creatures, feeling as if he knew what it was. He then shook himself out of the idea, and summoned a weapon that surprised Kirito and Asuna. It was a Keyblade, similar to theirs, but much more simpler, with a silver shaft, crown-shaped teeth, a golden guard, and a silver chain ending with a symbol similar to the one on Goofy's shield.

"No way!" gasped Asuna. "You can use a Keyblade, too?!" Kirito asked Sora. "Huh?" Sora questioned, turning to the two, "What are you talking about?" Donald and Goofy looked to Kirito and Asuna as well. The two looked to one another, nodded, then each summoned their Keyblades as they got into battle stances.

_(Cue KH OST 'Tension Rising')_

Sora, Donald and Goofy were shocked. "Keyblades?!" Sora gasped in amazement. "Yeah, but we'll explain later." Kirito told Sora, "Right now, we have to defeat these things!" Sora wanted to ask them so many questions, but knew they were right. He, Donald and Goofy got ready as they were about to brawl.

The team divided up as they took on the white creatures. The way they moved was almost like they were made of latex, making them sometimes unpredictable. Kirito managed to take one of them down before detecting one behind him. He turned, and was surprised to see the creature hanging upside down in midair, staring at him. He was so surprised, he didn't react in time as it twirled around and struck Kirito like a whip. He toppled to the ground, and a couple more appeared, about to strike him when he was vulnerable.

"_Thunder!_" Donald shouted, raising his staff. Forks of lightning came from above, raining down onto the two creatures and knocking them from Kirito. Kirito was surprised at this magical attack, but he got up and took out the two held responsible for pinning him down. "Was that a form of magic?" Kirito asked Donald. "Uh-huh." Donald nodded, "I'm the King's best wizard." Kirito thought back to how long it took to cast spells in Alfheim, and to how simply calling out the name like Donald did here. He felt like there was a differences in advantage points here.

As Donald turned and chased after another creature, Kirito saw Asuna and Goofy working together. Goofy used his shield to block a couple attacks for Asuna, then bash back with his shield. Asuna then came around Goofy and jabbed repeatedly with her Keyblade, taking out the competition in front of them.

Sora, on the other hand, was taking out the creatures quite well by himself. He was attacking the creatures with his Keyblade, which he held in two hands, and was leaping around attacks, striking when it was necessary. All in all, he was a versatile fighter.

Kirito then noticed three new creatures with the same color coating and cross symbols as the others sneaking up to Sora. Kirito then witnessed in amazement as they morphed themselves into spears and were about to strike at Sora. He dashed forward at them, and with one swipe, defeated all three at once. Sora turned, surprised at Kirito's abrupt save. "Watch your back, Sora!" Kirito implied, "These things are tricky fighters." "Yeah, thanks." Sora thanked him. The two saw more enemies near them, and they went after.

For a while, the five fighters fought against the unknown forces with all they got. Kirito was more on his own than the others. Sora and Donald were a joint force to be reckon with, and Asuna and Goofy were also tag teaming well. However, the enemies just kept coming, no matter how many they took down.

Kirito slashed down one more creature, panting heavily. The fight wasn't as long as most others he had in ALO, but he was growing tired, nonetheless. _This isn't good._ Kirito thought to himself, looking at the crew around him, _Donald and Goofy have already collapsed. Sora and Asuna are about ready to fall over themselves. I'm not even sure how long I can last either._ He backed off towards the others, all of which were encircled by about half a dozen or more of the creatures. Kirito gritted his teeth as he tried to gather enough strength to finish this fight.

As one of the creatures was about to strike at him, something appeared from above Kirito, slashing down the creature. Kirito and Asuna looked in amazement as they witnessed the short person in black leap around the group, taking out the creatures with speed and acrobatics that were extremely well-honed.

He landed on the opposite side of Kirito, standing in front of Sora's view, whipping his weapon to one side. Kirito and Asuna noticed the weapon he held was a lot like Sora's Keyblade, the color of the guard and the shaft with the teeth were swapped. He was the same height as Donald, covered in a black coat, along with his face. However, there was no mistaking the round ears on his head.

Sora shook his head, then saw who it was in front of him, and was astonished. Donald and Goofy regained consciousness, and turned to their savior as well. They were so shocked, they knocked over Sora as they got a better look at him. "Your Majesty?!" Donald squawked. Kirito and Asuna looked at one another, amazed. This guy was their king?

"Shh!" Mickey hushed them, "You gotta board the train and leave town! The train knows the way." He hopped backwards, pulling out an orange hand-made purse and handing it to Sora. He reached out and took it, examining the purse. Mickey turned to look at Kirito and Asuna, seeing the Keyblades that they wield. "I don't know how you got those, but you must use them wisely." Mickey warned the two, and with that, he took off into town. "Your Majesty!" Donald squawked after him, but he disappeared.

"The King… Was that really him?" Sora asked. "It coulda been…" Goofy answered, "Yep, I know it was!" "Now we know he's okay!" Donald cheered. "He's pretty short for a king." Kirito stated, rolling his shoulder as Asuna straightened herself again.

Yui flew out of her pocket, sighing in relief. "Papa, are you okay?" she asked, "You look pretty tired. You aren't usually this tired after a battle like that." "Yeah, me neither." Asuna agreed, taking a breather, "How are we out of shape?" "Maybe it's another addition to how our avatars became real." Kirito guessed, "Not only are our bodies real, but so are our physical functions, including our natural stamina." "You know, I'm really starting to question on us being here." Asuna sighed.

While the trio were speaking to one another, Sora, Donald and Goofy were contemplating about seeing King Mickey. "The King was locked in the realm of darkness, right?" Sora recalled, with Goofy nodding, "But we just saw him…" "Yep." Donald agreed. "And if the King is here, that means Riku's here!" Sora assumed, his face shining with a sign of hope. "He's gotta be!" Donald seconded.

"Well, I'm gonna go look for Riku." Sora decided, drawing Kirito, Asuna and Yui's attention, "Then he and I can go back to the islands together. Kairi's there waiting for us!" "I'm guessing Riku and Kairi must be good friends of yours, right?" Kirito assumed. "Sure are." Sora answered, smiling as he recalled them.

Sora looked to Donald and Goofy as he asked, "What are you two gonna do?" The two made disgruntled moans. "Gawrsh, Sora. Do ya have to ask?" Goofy asked. Both Donald and Goofy were giving such funny expressions, that Sora and Asuna both giggled at them. "Hey! What's so funny?!" Donald squawked angrily. "Your faces!" Sora chuckled. "They're priceless!" Asuna added. Both Donald and Goofy looked at each other, holding their expressions. Then seeing what Sora and Asuna were laughing at, they joined in on the laughter. Yui joined in laughing as Kirito smiled. At least there were moments of happiness for them.

"What do ya say, guys?" Sora asked, "Let's stick together for one more journey." Donald and Goofy nodded in agreement. Sora then turned to Kirito, Asuna and Yui. "How 'bout you guys?" Sora asked, "Do ya wanna come with us?" "You don't mind?" Asuna asked.

"I don't know. What if the guy we're looking for is still here?" Kirito asked Asuna. "But remember what that voice said?" Asuna retorted, "It said 'Follow the path the Keyblade takes you, and you shall not lose your way'." She waved a hand to Sora, Donald and Goofy. "Our Keyblades had led us to meeting Sora, Donald and Goofy." Asuna resulted, "So maybe we were told to join with them."

Kirito wasn't sure about Asuna's logic behind all of this, considering they were only following a voice they had no clue they could trust, nor could he fully count on the people he had just met. He found all of this so farfetched, even more so than the worlds he had played online. Still, the voice did help him gain the power of the Keyblade, and it did help him and Asuna defend themselves against the black monsters.

"Papa, I want to go with Sora!" Yui told Kirito, "I don't know why. It's not a logical reasoning, but it is just what I feel is right." "So it's a gut feeling, huh?" Kirito guessed Yui's condition, looking at Yui, then at Asuna, and finally, the three new people he had just met. "Looks like I'm outvoted." he sighed, "Kay, then. Sora, hope you can bear with us as we help you."

"Great!" Sora cheered, "Glad to have you guys with us! So let's get going to…where again?" "How could you just forget?" Asuna asked. "We haft board the train!" Goofy remembered. "Oh, right." Sora recalled. Donald and Kirito sighed. "This journey's gonna be a long one…" Kirito muttered as the team turned and started walking into the train station.

The team entered the station, which looked tidy and well-made. As the team approached the ticket booth, someone cried, "Wait up!" The team turned to see Hayner, Pence and Olette racing through the doors, stopping in front of them. "It's you guys again." Kirito noticed.

"Hey, Sora…" Hayner started. "Yeah?" Sora asked. Hayner paused for a second, then answered, "Nothing, but…" "We came to see you off." Pence followed, "It just seemed like something we oughta do." "Really? Thanks." Sora replied, kinda confused. "That's sweet of your guys." Asuna added, smiling at them.

Just then, they heard the bell in the station. The last call for anyone wanting to board the trains. "You should hurry and get your tickets." Olette told the trio. "We were just about to do that." Kirito answered, "Sora, you have the money pouch."

The two boys walked over to the ticket booth, and Sora pulled out the wallet. Olette gasped, seeing the wallet. "What is it?" Donald asked her. Olette reached into her back pocket, and pulled out a wallet that was the exact same as the one Sora had in hand. "They're the same." Goofy noticed. "Maybe it's from the same retailer." Kirito assumed. "It can't be." Olette retorted, "I handmade this one." The team looked at one another, confused. How can there be two of the same kind of pouch that was handmade for one girl?

Sora shrugged it off, and turned back to the ticket booth. "Five tickets, please." Sora asked the person within. He gained the five tickets, and handed the amount needed. He handed the tickets out to Kirito, Asuna, Donald and Goofy.

They looked up and saw the train that looked out of place in the reddish-colored station. It was a deep blue train with a shooting star above the door, star-shaped windows, and a wizard's hat on the front top of the train. "Looks like that train is the one we're suppose to board." Asuna assumed, seeing the train.

"I can't help feeling like we won't see this town again…" Sora stated in a sad tone. The others looked to him, wondering what he meant by that. "Why not?" Donald asked. "You're thinkin' too much." Goofy assured Sora. "It's not like we can't head back here, right?" Kirito asked Sora. "Yeah, you're right!" Sora agreed, regaining his smile.

The team walked up the stairs, towards the train they were about to board. "Do we have everything ready to go?" Donald asked. "I think so." Kirito answered, "Unless we're missing anything." He looked to Sora, Asuna and Goofy, who shook their heads as to say they couldn't think of anything. They were ready to leave.

Donald and Goofy walked onto the train, and Yui popped out of Kirito's pocket, flying into the train behind the two. This left Kirito, Asuna and Sora with Hayner, Pence and Olette on the boarding platform.

"Take care." Kirito told them, "And thanks for seeing us off like this." "No problem." Olette answered. "We kinda felt it was right." Pence added. Hayner looked to Sora. "Hey, Sora. You sure we haven't met before?" he asked. Sora thought for a second before responding, "Positive. Why do you ask?" Hayner shook his head. "I dunno." he answered with a grin. Sora replied with a grin back.

Just then, a tear fell from Sora's eye, and he started to look sad. Kirito, Asuna and the others all looked at Sora with surprise and concern. "Sora?" Kirito spoke to him. Sora looked to Kirito, then felt the tear on his face. By the looks of it, he was confused as to why he was crying too as he wiped his tears away.

"You okay?" Olette asked. "Y-Yeah. Don't know where it came from." Sora answered. "Pull it together!" Hayner chuckled. Sora patted his cheeks to get his attitude straightened up. "Guys, the trains almost ready to leave!" Yui called out. "We'll be right there." Asuna responded, turning to Kirito and Sora, "Let's get moving." "Right." Sora answered, turning to Hayner, Pence and Olette, "See ya!" And with that, the trio boarded the train as its' doors closed, and the train took off out of the station, leaving the trio of Twilight Town residence watching them leave.

As the train rattled along the track, Donald and Goofy watched the outside from their seats, with Donald having to lift himself up to see through the window. With Kirito and Asuna on board and in their seats, Yui decided to take a nap on Asuna's lap. The entire journey so far was exhausting for her, and for her parents, but they knew they had barely started it. Jiminy Cricket was on the same side of the car as Kirito, Asuna and Yui, turning to Sora, who was leaning on the closed door, looking out through the window.

Sora pulled out the pouch again, examining it. He then reached inside, noticing something in there when he pulled out money for the tickets. It was a blue crystal marble the size of his eye. He held it up to the window, where the twilight sunset was shining through, and peered right through the gem.

"You know..." Sora started to say, drawing everyone's attention, "...I'm sad." They all look sympathetically at Sora. "We'll be back." Donald reassured him. "Yeah." Goofy agreed, "We can visit Hayner and those guys again." "Your friends are right you know," Kirito told him. "Keep your chin up, Sora. We'll see them again." Asuna added. Sora looked at them, and smiled at their consideration.

Just then, the sky outside got really bright, and they found themselves going along a shining green train track, surrounded by polar lights and starry skies. "Kay, is this suppose to happen?" Kirito asked, looking to the team, who shrugged in response.

* * *

**Train Ride Between Twilight Town &amp; Mysterious Tower**

Axel, Naminé and Riku-Ansem were up at the Sunset Terrace. Riku was looking down at Naminé, who was sitting on a bench, looking at her drawing book. Axel walked over to the wooden fence, leaning on it as he watched the heroes leave.

"Guess that's that." Axel stated, watching the train vanish in a flash of light, "Still, it's wild. Two more people from a different dimension also wield the Keyblade. Makes ya wonder how this will change the Organization's plans. Course, they've also added a new member to their ranks as well, and he's connected with those newcomers. It's hard to keep up with all this."

After a pause, Riku spoke up. "Let's go." he told the two Nobodies. "Go where?" Axel asked turning to Riku, "It's not like we have homes to return to. We don't exist, remember?" "Yes, it's true." Naminé agreed, "We may not have homes. But there IS someplace I want to go. And…someone I want to see." "Same here." Axel agreed.

There was another pause, then Axel looked to Riku. "So, you think you might let us go?" he asked, "I know you're here to get rid of us, but…" "DiZ? Wants to get rid of me?" Naminé asked, looking at Riku.

"Go." Riku told them. "You sure about this?" Axel asked. "I owe you both." Riku told them. "For what?" Naminé asked him. "Castle Oblivion. You helped us." Riku answered her. "Heh. You don't have to tell me twice." Axel chuckled, raising a hand up, producing a black portal. Axel watched as Riku and Naminé looked at one another, then Naminé bowed her head to him. "Thank you." she thanked him, getting off the bench and hurrying over to Axel's side.

Just as she stood next to him, Naminé turned to Riku. "There is one more thing I also need to do." she told him, "And…I think I need your help with it." "What's that?" Riku questioned. "It about those two Keyblade wielders DiZ brought over." Naminé explained, "Actually, there's suppose to be one more." "Another one?" Axel asked. "Yes." Naminé answered, "And this person has a strong connection with the two, especially the boy, Kirito. I believe she could help us."

Riku looked to Naminé for a second, then he nodded in confirmation. "Then let me swing you by the mansion." Axel told her, "Shouldn't be a problem to get the third wheel over here. We just use the same program that got those other two over here." Naminé nodded in agreement. "So what's this person's name?" Axel asked. "She has two different names." Naminé answered, "However, in the online world, her name is…Leafa." "I see." Axel understood, "Leafa. I got it memorized."

Naminé turned and left through the dark portal. Axel watched her leave, then walked through the portal himself, leaving Riku to watch them go.

It was about five minutes into the train ride did Sora turn to Kirito and Asuna. "So, about those Keyblades…" Sora started, "…How did you guys learn to use them?" Donald, Goofy and Jiminy all looked curiously at them, too. This was a question that bothered all of them.

"We're not exactly sure HOW we learned to use them." Kirito answered, "We only gained them almost immediately before meeting you guys." "I think I know how it happened." Asuna answered, getting Kirito's attention, "You said it too, Kirito. Both of us had a strange dream before we woke up, right? Were you in the middle of the darkness, standing on a massive circular platform?" "Yeah, and there was a picture of someone on it, and the platform shined brightly compared to the rest of the place." Kirito answered, "Plus, a voice gave me a few tests to do while I was there. After that, I woke up in the mansion's computer room." Asuna nodded in agreement. She had the same exact experience as him.

"Something about that sounds familiar." Sora pointed out, "I think I might have had that same dream too." "You did?!" Kirito asked in amazement. "Yeah." Sora answered, "I was sleeping on the shores of my home islands, and I did have this freaky dream with similar descriptions as the one you said. It was sometime after that when I gained the Keyblade." "Then it's no coincidence." Asuna summed up, "That dream connects all of us. That's how we gained the Keyblade." "I guess." Kirito answered, "But I get the feeling that there's more to it. I don't have any proof, but it's just a gut feeling."

"Okay, then mind if I ask another question?" Sora followed, "What is this Aincrad world that you come from like?" Kirito didn't answer immediately. Instead, he asked, "Before I answer, how much do you know about computers and virtual reality?" Sora gave a body expression that answered 'very little'. Donald, Goofy and Jiminy all had the same expression, too. This made it even more difficult for Kirito.

"Aincrad is part of a game." Asuna started. Since she was a more recent newcomer to VRMMOs, she could explain it better to Sora and the others than Kirito could. "In the world we come from, there are these devices called NerveGear and AmuSpheres that we place on our heads, and download our minds into the gaming world. Do you get it so far?" Sora and his friends nodded in response.

"In the game we come from, Alfheim Online, we actually become fairies." Asuna continued, "There are nine races in total. Kirito is a Spriggan, and I'm an Undine. Yui is a Navigation Pixie, which helps us guide through areas and predict enemy attacks for us. Then there's the game world itself, which is divided into two parts; Alfheim, the land of the fairies, and Aincrad, the floating castle."

"Aincrad was once part of a game called 'Sword Art Online'." Kirito followed Asuna's last statement, "It was a game that was made by a man named Akihiko Kayaba." "Akihiko…Kayaba?" Sora repeated slowly, finding the name a bit weird. "That's right." Kirito answered, "He trapped 10,000 people inside the world of 'Sword Art Online'. Asuna and I were also trapped in there, and it was there that we met each other. The same went for Yui, as she was a Mental Health Counceling Program there."

"So this Akihiko person trapped you guys in the game?" Jiminy asked. "Right. We couldn't escape the virtual world, or return IRL." Kirito answered. "IRL?" Goofy repeated. "It's an abbreviated term for 'In-Real Life'." Asuna answered, "We couldn't return to our families, nor anyone outside of the virtual world. The only way of escaping was to clear all 100 floors of Aincrad. And if we were defeated in SAO, we would also die IRL. Basically, it was a life or death game."

"Sounds pretty rough." Sora stated, "So how did you get out? Did someone defeat all 100 floors?" "Not exactly." Kirito answered, "I managed to discover Akihiko was a Player going by the name of Heathcliff after a boss battle on floor 75. I almost died at that point, and so did Asuna, but we managed to beat him with our combined powers."

"Wow! Sounds like you guys became heroes in your world." said Sora with amazement. "Well, it was mainly Kirito that saved the survivors of SAO." Asuna pointed out, "And he saved my life, too…more than once." "What do you mean?" Donald asked her. "There was another man, a rival of Kayaba's, named Sugou Nobuyuki. He was suppose to be Asuna's real life fiancé." Kirito explained, and he folded his hands tightly, "He was also the original creator of Alfheim Online. However, he didn't create the game for fun at that point."

"Sugou rerouted three hundred minds of SAO survivors into Alfheim, and trapped them within, experimenting on their minds in order to perfect the ability to control people's minds." Asuna followed, then frightfully added, "He also trapped me in their as well, making me his wife and preventing me from waking up IRL. He was greedy, only caring about control over the minds of all in the virtual world." "That's horrible!" Sora shouted.

"Asuna's whereabouts were kept hidden from the outside world." Kirito stated, "That is, until three months after I woke up from SAO. Someone took a photo of her, and I found the picture. So I went into Alfheim Online in order to save her. I didn't do it alone, however. Yui was there with me, and so was my sister, Suguha, who had been playing Alfheim under the name 'Leafa'."

"You have a sister?" Sora asked. "She's actually my cousin, but we were raised as brother and sister." Kirito explained, "Anyway, she led me to where I could reach her. With help from her, Recon, and several other Players of ALO, I managed to reach Asuna, and stop Sugou and his plans. After that, Alfheim became a world of fun, and Aincrad was reborn once again. It's been over a year since then. A couple of other problems came into my life, but I managed to overcome them."

"Wow." Sora gasped, "Based on what you said, you guys probably had just as much trouble as we have in our past. But at least you were with friends and family, right?" Kirito nodded in response. It was true. He wouldn't have made it so far without the support of others, or all the strength he gathered from fighting.

"Only now, we have to deal with a whole new problem; being stuck in a different dimension." Asuna pointed out, "We need to find the person who sent us here, and make him send us back home." "Exactly." Kirito answered, "Even if it sounds cool to discover other worlds than the one we're from, we want to be sent back home as soon as possible. We have our friends and family that are waiting for us."

Sora, Donald, Goofy and Jiminy all looked to one another, and Sora knew what to do. "If you guys need to get back home, then we'll help you get back there." Sora told them. Kirito and Asuna looked up in surprise. "You…are willing to do that?" Kirito asked, "But you don't even know where it is, let alone know the person who sent us here." "I don't need to know that to know you guys want to go home." Sora noted, "Besides, we're friends now, right?" Donald, Goofy and Jiminy agreed with Sora's statement.

Kirito and Asuna looked to one another. Either Sora was toying with them, or he was really willing to help them out in bringing them back home. Based on what they saw and knew about Sora and his friends so far, they figured the initial was out of the question.

Kirito thought that maybe they should denying their help, so as not to be a burden to Sora and his friends. However, Asuna placed a hand on Kirito's shoulder, knowing what he might say. She knew that they had no knowledge of this dimension, the Keyblades, nor the creatures that attacked them at the station plaza. As far as they knew, they had no way of knowing how to get around. Plus, they did say that they would join Sora, so they might as well join with him and his friends anyway.

* * *

**The Mysterious Tower**

There was a bright light coming from outside the train, and the group looked out to see the scenery had changed once again. it was a vast orange landscape with a fog of the same color beneath them, with green mountaintops sticking out from below. However, the central point of view was a floating island with shrubbery all around, and the most unusual-looking tower that the team had ever seen. It was crooked, surrealistic, and structurally unbalanced. It had a blue cone rooftop that was decorated with moons and stars.

_(Cue KH OST 'Magical Mystery')_

Asuna woke Yui up, Jiminy hopped into Sora's pocket, and the group exited the train. "What is this place?" Asuna asked Sora. "Beats me." Sora replied, "I've never seen anything like it before." "Looks pretty unstable if you ask me." Kirito pointed out. As soon as they exited the train, the locomotive shined brightly, and disappeared right before their eyes. "Where did it go?!" Asuna gasped. They paused for a second, then Sora chuckled, "There goes our ride." Sora, Kirito and Asuna looked at one another, then joined Donald, Goofy and Yui as they went to the doors of the tower, where someone was peeping inside.

They got close enough to see who it was. His back was turned to them, but he looked like an anthropomorphic character like Donald and Goofy. The guy was quite fat, with muscular arms, and he wore some sort of dark battle garments that fit his entire body, held with cross-straps and zippers.

The team approached the bottom of the steps, looking up at the peeping tom. "What's goin' on?" Donald asked. The character chuckled at the question without turning around, then answered, "I sent some of my lackeys inside to see if the master of this here tower's as big and tough as they say. Word is, he's a real powerful sorcerer, which would make him the perfect bodyguard for me. See. don't matter how tough he is; once he's a Heartless, he'll do as I say!"

"A Heartless?!" Donald squawked as he, Sora and Goofy got into fighting positions. "A Heartless?" repeated Kirito and Asuna, puzzled. "That's right." the guy said ominously, "They're those things that come outta the darkness in folks' hearts. Why, with all those Heartless at her side, my dear friend Maleficent is gonna conquer everything! And since I got me a debt to pay, I'm goin' 'round to a bunch of different worlds and buildin' an army of Heartless, special for her."

The team looked at one another. Sora, Donald and Goofy did know of Maleficent, but Kirito, Asuna and Yui did not. However, it didn't take a genius to see that this guy and Maleficent were not good people, nor did the Heartless.

The guy changed his tone as he said, "Oh, why am I talkin' to you pipsqueaks anyway? Go on, scram! I'm behind schedule as it is." "You oughta find somethin' nicer to do." Goofy suggested. "Oh ho, say who?" he asked, turning to their crowd. His face was cat-like, but it was difficult to differ it from a dog's face.

The guy was startled at their crowd. "Wha...AAAH! It's you!" he said sternly. "Pete?!" Both Donald and Goofy said together. "What are you two nimrods doin' here?!" the guy asked angrily. "What are YOU doing here?" Donald demanded back.

"Do you guys know who he is?" Asuna asked Goofy. "We sure do!" Goofy answered, "Pete's been causin' trouble for ages! His Majesty banished him to another dimension a long time ago. I wonder how he escaped?" "So, he was in a different dimension, just like we are, now." Kirito realized, wondering if the King actually opens up worlds to different dimensions?

At this, Pete boastfully laughed at them. "You wanna know how, eh?" he asked them, "Well, Maleficent busted me out, that's how! And now, your world, no, no, no, all the worlds, are gonna belong to yours truly. Cause, uh, Maleficent's gonna help me conquer 'em!"

"Maleficent, huh?" Sora repeated. Both he, Donald and Goofy started to laugh. Kirito and Asuna looked to the laughing trio, feeling they were missing the joke. "What are you laughing at?!" Pete asked mischievously, "Why, Maleficent's power is so great that..." "She's toast." Sora interrupted him, startling Pete. "Sorry, but Maleficent can't help ya now." Goofy told him. "What do you mean?" Pete asked as Donald continued to laugh.

Pete then came to the realization of what they meant. "You! So you're the ones that did it!" "Well, we mighta had something to do with it." Sora said sarcastically. "I'm gonna guess that you guys took care of this Maleficent person before." Asuna assumed. "Yep, we sure did." Goofy eagerly responded.

Pete started to rage up as he called out, "Heartless Squad, round up!" Just then, a bunch of the same shadowy creatures that Kirito and Asuna had dealt with before appeared from the ground, all of them coming out in front of them. "So these things were really called Heartless?" Asuna asked as they pulled out their weapons. "Let's take care of them, guys." Sora told the team, ready to fight.

"Wait, Sora." Kirito stopped him, "You guys back off. I'll take care of them." "Kirito, don't try anything that is too reckless!" Asuna warned him. "Don't worry. I got this." Kirito assured her, and he dashed into battle.

The Heartless, which were known as Shadows according to Jiminy, were pretty weak, and Kirito was able to make quick work of them as he started knocking them all over the place. "Does Kirito do this all the time?" Sora asked Asuna. "Mostly against the normal kind of monsters back in the VRMMOs." Asuna replied, "Kirito has been known to go solo quite a bit, especially if people's lives are on the line. He does this because he doesn't want other people getting hurt instead of him. It's stupid, but that's how he fights." "Sounds to me like he cares for the people around him." Sora stated.

It didn't take Kirito very long to take out the Heartless. He finished off the last one before turning to Pete, who had moved away from the tower doors, looking frustrated at his squad being easily beaten.

"You just wait!" he warned the group, "Nobody, and I do mean nobody, messes with the mighty Pete!" "If you're so mighty, then tell me something." Kirito retorted, "Who's this wizard that you're so anxious on turning into a Heartless?" "Oh, ya don't know, eh?" Pete said amusingly, "Well, it's old Yen Sid. 'Course, he's probably a Heartless by now!"

"Master Yen Sid lives here?!" Donald squawked, surprising all but Goofy at this exclamation. Donald dashed towards the entrance and opened the door so he could go in. "Who's that?" Asuna asked Goofy. "Yen Sid is the King's teacher!" Goofy answered. "Wow, sounds powerful!" Sora guessed. Asuna thought back to how the King saved them from those weird monsters at the station plaza. If the King was that good, she wondered how strong Yen Sid was.

The Heartless dropped munny on the ground, but Sora and Goofy gathered them up before leading Asuna and Yui up the steps into the tower. Kirito and Pete were glaring at one another, sizing each other up. "C'mon, Kirito! We have to go inside!" Asuna cried out. Kirito took one last glance at Pete, then he followed Asuna's advice, and joined the others. Pete was dumbfounded that he was walking away, then started pouting at being beaten so easily.

Kirito turned to see Pete pouting before closing the door behind him. "Well that was a waste of time." he sighed. "We should go see Master Yen Sid." Donald told the team, "He'll tell us what to do." "Maybe he'll even tell us where to find your home." Sora added to Kirito, Asuna and Yui. "Maybe…" Kirito answered. They looked up the staircases spiraling up the tower, but they didn't all connect with one another. From where the staircases ended, a door was placed, but it didn't lead into any rooms from the outside view. "I just hope we'll be able to get up to meet him, anyway." Kirito added. With that, they started climbing up the tower.

As they went up the stairs, they encountered a few of the Heartless that Pete must have sent inside, but they defeated them easily. They entered through the door hanging in the air, and found themselves in a room. Kirito, Asuna and Yui were absolutely confused as to how this worked, but Donald simply said it was Yen Sid's magic. They fought against a bunch of Heartless inside the room and progressed onward.

They went up the stairs and went through another door, where Kirito and Asuna were introduced to Heartless they had fought before in the Kingdom Hearts quest in Alfheim; Soldier Heartless. They fought just the same as they did in the game, so they were able to adapt and defeat them.

They had entered another room that they entered through a hanging door, and encountered more Heartless. They quickly defeated them, and grouped together in the middle of the room. "Heartless, Heartless, Heartless!" Donald complained, "Things haven't changed one bit!" "What do you mean by that?" Asuna asked. "We thought we had beaten the Heartless once and for all." Sora answered. "Well, it's a good thing we're on the job, then." Goofy said optimistically.

"What made you think the Heartless weren't suppose to be around?" Kirito questioned Sora. "You see, a while back, we fought against these bad guys, led by Maleficent, who were controlling the Heartless, sending them out to many worlds, and gathering the Princesses of Light." "Princesses of Light?" Asuna repeated. "They're suppose to be the ones who could open the door to a place called Kingdom Hearts." Goofy answered.

"Hold on, the quest we were on that brought us to this dimension was also called 'Kingdom Hearts'." Kirito recalled. "That's right!" Asuna agreed, "But what is this place suppose to be?" "It's kinda vague to me." Sora answered, "But based on what Ansem and Maleficent said, Kingdom Hearts is where all hearts reside, and where a great amount of light is suppose to contain, surrounded by darkness. Fortunately, we were able to stop them before they took control of Kingdom Hearts, releasing more Heartless into the worlds, and plunge everything into darkness."

"Wow, that sounds like a higher achievement than what we had to deal with." Kirito stated, with Asuna nodding in agreement. "Yeah, but if the Heartless are still roaming about, does this mean the worlds aren't at peace after all?" Sora questioned. The team looked at one another, then to the door ahead. "I bet Yen Sid can answer that." Goofy assumed. "Let's keep goin'!" Donald declared, and the team progressed on.

Kirito, Asuna and Yui were quite interested in Sora's story, but they had other things to take care of before asking them, mainly finding more about why they came to this dimension, and more importantly, find the person that sent them here, and make their way back home. They were hoping that Yen Sid had the answer to all their questions.

They arrived at another staircase, but it was a straight path to the next door. They went straight to it, defeating a bunch of Heartless along the way. Donald and Goofy went through the door first, the others followed. Inside was a simple room with bookshelves and pots here and there. At the far end was a wooden table for which Donald and Goofy faced, standing tall and with authority.

As Kirito, Asuna, Yui and Sora walked over, they saw both Donald and Goofy bow before the man sitting at the table. The three stared at the man before them. From what Kirito read in books about wizards, this guy absolutely fit the part. The blue robe, the long gray beard, even the blue pointy hat, decorated with stars and moons. And from how Donald and Goofy were showing signs of respect, the others assumed this must be Yen Sid himself.

"Master Yen Sid! It's an honor!" Donald greeted the wizard humbly. "Hey there." Sora followed, not showing the same courtesy as Donald and Goofy did. Donald and Goofy snapped their heads up to Sora, shocked by his lack of etiquette. "Sora, show some respect!" Donald scolded him. Sora looked embarrassed at this. Kirito, Asuna and Yui, not wanting to make the same mistake, bowed deeply to Yen Sid. "It's very nice to meet you, sir." Asuna greeted. "Likewise." Kirito followed.

Yen Sid waved his hands, showing the sign that there was no need for formalities. "So, you are Sora." he assumed, looking at Sora, then to Kirito and Asuna, "And you two must be Kirito and Asuna." The two in question looked up, surprised. "Wait, you know about us?" Kirito asked incredulously. Yen Sid nodded. "I have been told by someone that the two of you would be here, sent from a different dimension in order to face the looming dangers ahead."

"Is it the same person that brought us here?" Kirito asked in a more determined manner, stepping towards the desk where Yen Sid sat, "If it is, I would like to know why he brought us here, and who he is!" "Same here." Asuna followed, coming right next to Kirito, "I wish to know the same thing, so that we can go back home, again. If you know anything, please tell us."

"The man that told me about your summons to this dimension is the very same person you are seeking." Yen Sid told them, "He goes by the name of 'DiZ'." Kirito and Asuna recalled back to the NPC who instructed them on the 'Kingdom Hearts' quest. "He has told me of everything you have done in your world, and he has assured that you that you will meet him again, when the time is right."

At this, Kirito slammed his fists on the table, making Sora and the others behind him jump. "Screw that! I don't care about waiting to meet him again 'when the time is right'!" Kirito roared, "If he thinks he can just send us here without our permission, and force us to do what he says, then he's got another thing coming!" Donald and Goofy grabbed Kirito's arms, afraid he might lash out at Yen Sid, despite his innocence. He wasn't just being disrespectful to Yen Sid, he was also becoming violent towards him. "Kirito, take it easy!" Asuna told Kirito, "Yen Sid is only telling us what DiZ told him. Don't act so cruelly."

As soon as Kirito settled down, Yen Sid continued, "I understand your frustration. I, too, believed that DiZ is making a rash decision in bringing you here. However, he also noted how important the two of you were in your world, and how you have faced countless battles in order to protect others. He also believes that you, Kirito and Asuna, were also capable of using the Keyblades. Based on what I have seen transpire, he was right."

Asuna raised her hand, producing the Oathkeeper Keyblade into her hand. "So, DiZ knew we were capable of using the Keyblades?" Asuna asked, "Is this a common gift to people." "No. The Keyblade is only granted onto those with strong hearts, and ones who are deemed worthy of using the Keyblade's power." Yen Sid answered, "Both you and Kirito have deemed yourselves worthy to possess the Keyblade. Though DiZ believed there was one more from your world that was capable of the same power. However, that person never came here with you."

Kirito relinquished himself from Donald and Goofy's grip, producing the Oblivion Keyblade and looking at it. "There was suppose to be one more?" Kirito questioned, then he realized, "Sugu! She might have this power?!" "He believed so." Yen Sid answered, "However, the proof of that has yet to be discovered."

"I don't mind getting these new weapons, as weird as they look." Kirito stated, "It's just…I feel like I was nothing more than a test subject to this DiZ guy, sent here to see if his assumption was right. Besides, based on what I heard about Sora, Donald and Goofy, it seems like they don't need our help in whatever troubles they might face. So why bring us here?" Asuna looked to one side, agreeing with what Kirito said silently.

"Rest assured, DiZ did not disregard Sora's strength." Yen Sid assured them, "However, what I have to say to all of you might help you understand why he brought you here." "But what about me?" Yui asked, landing onto Yen Sid's desk, "You keep saying that mama and papa should be here, and so should Leafa, but was I suppose to be here, too?" "All of you have a purpose in being here, including you." Yen Sid answered Yui.

Yen Sid turned to Sora, Donald and Goofy. "Now then, have you seen the King yet?" he asked them. "Yes, we did, Master." Goofy answered, "But we didn't get a chance to talk to him." "Yes...the King has been quite busy of late." Yen Sid muttered, "Therefore, it would seem that the task of instructing you five falls upon my shoulders." Yui flew onto Kirito's shoulder as they and Asuna listened intently to what Yen Sid had to say to them.

"You have a perilous journey ahead of you." Yen Sid warned them, "You must be well prepared." "You mean, we have to go on another quest?" Sora asked, looking somewhat upset, "I was looking forward to finding my friend Riku, so we could go back to the islands." Kirito understood Sora's feelings, though he was not looking for a friend, but just for a way back home.

"Yes, I know." Yen Sid told them, "However, everything in your journey, Sora, is connected. Whether you will find your way home to the islands, whether you will return alone or with your friend, and whether or not the islands will still be there. And the key that connects them all is you Sora." "I'm the key?" Sora asked.

Yen Sid turned to Kirito and Asuna. "This goes the same for the two of you." he told them, "Whether you are able to go back to your world again, whether you will reunite with your friends and family, and whether your world will be there again or not all depends on what you do." Kirito and Asuna looked at each other, very perplexed at what he was saying. Would their world be there when they got home? They looked at Sora, who held his hand out and produced his Kingdom Key Keyblade, adding to Kirito and Asuna's already produced Keyblades.

"Chosen wielders of the Keyblade!" Yen Sid announced, "You are the keys that will open the door to light." Sora nodded in understanding. Kirito and Asuna looked to one another, then nodded as well. Yen Sid looked at both Donald and Goofy, who stood straight up in authority and nodded in unison.

Sora still had more questions to ask Yen Sid, particularly about what they had just discovered. "But wait a sec; how come the Heartless are still running around?" he asked. Goofy and Donald also wanted to know.

"Your past endeavors did prevent an immense effusion of Heartless from the great darkness, make no mistake about that." Yen Sid reassured them, "However, the Heartless are darkness made real, and darkness yet lingers in every heart. The Heartless are fewer. But while darkness exists in a single heart, it will be difficult to eliminate them."

The trio slumped, feeling dismayed at their efforts not completely stopping the Heartless. The others couldn't help but feel sorry for them. Suddenly, Goofy had an inspiration. "Gawrsh, that must mean that if everybody's heart was full of light, them Heartless'd go away!" Both Donald and Sora agreed in his words.

"How are you gonna do that?" Kirito questioned, "That sounds like an impossible thing to do." Sora, Donald and Goofy looked to him, then thought on the answer. "I'm sure the answer will come if we look for it." Asuna stated, "It might be a difficult thing to accomplish, but I'm sure it's not impossible." Yen Sid nodded in agreement.

"Now, it is time to speak of the enemies that you will encounter." the wizard said to them. He waved his hand, and on the far end of the room, a bright circle appeared, and a duplicate of Donald Duck appeared out of it. Suddenly, the duplicate vanished, and a Shadow appeared in its' place. Kirito shuddered at that transition, as he had seen it in his nightmares.

"If one such as you, Donald, yields to the darkness in their heart, they too will become a Heartless." Yen Sid warned them, "But you know this." The others acknowledged. Donald moaned as he looked at where his duplicate was at before.

Kirito thought about what Yen Sid described the Heartless. Was that what those dreams meant? Was that gonna happen to him and his friends and family, should they be swayed by the darkness? He turned to Asuna, who looked worried as she heard about the Heartless. "The Heartless are always lurking and ever seeking to capture new hearts." Yen Sid explained, "Never let your guard down! Now then…"

He waved his hand again, and another bright circle appeared, and in it was a monster just like the ones that attacked them at the station plaza. "At times, if someone with a strong heart and will, be they evil or good, becomes a Heartless, the empty shell they leave behind begins to act with a will of its own." Yen Sid informed them.

The circle with the Heartless disappeared as Yen Sid continued, "An empty vessel whose heart has been stolen away, a spirit that goes on even as its body fades from existence. For you see, Nobodies do not truly exist at all. Nobodies may seem to have feelings, but this is a ruse; they only pretend to have hearts. You must not be deceived!" "Nobodies..." Sora muttered sorrowfully, "They don't exist." "They sure hurt like they exist." Kirito said sarcastically, remembering how they attacked them.

Suddenly, three more of them appeared close to the five heroes, startling them. "Now then," Yen Sid continued, "the being you see before you is known as a Dusk. They are the most common form of Nobody. But there are others; some larger, some with frightening and unique powers. Be vigilant!" Everyone turned to Yen Sid and nodded. "On your journey," he continued, "you will meet an alarming number of Dusks. They will all attempt to do you harm." "We found that out the hard way." Asuna moaned, also thinking of the battle before.

The three Nobodies disappeared as Yen Sid continued, "Still, they are nothing but empty shells, destined to return to darkness. But..." He waved his hand again, and three more bright circles appeared, containing human-like figures in black coats, with black hoods that covered their faces. The group were startled at there appearance.

"The beings before you now are different." Yen Sid told them, "These powerful Nobodies have formed a group called Organization XIII. It commands the lesser Nobodies." "Organization XIII..." Sora repeated, something in his face said that they seemed familiar to him. He looked at Donald, Goofy, Kirito and Asuna, wondering if they knew who they were. They all shook their heads one after another.

"While Heartless act on instinct, Nobodies function in a higher manner." Yen Sid explained to them as they turned to him, "They can think and plan, and it seems they are working towards a goal. What that goal is, we do not know." The five heroes looked at each other, wondering what kind of goal it was.

"The King sensed the danger, and journeyed forth to fight it." Yen Sid continued, "He found the dark realm's Keyblade, and with it, closed the door. Now he's traveling from world to world, fighting the Heartless as he seeks the answer to the riddle of the Nobodies and Organization XIII. Meanwhile, the Organization are making plans of their own, and their most recent actions are the reason why you, Kirito and Asuna, were brought here." Asuna and Kirito looked to one another, wondering what the actions were.

The three cloaked figures disappeared behind them. "Then I guess we better go find the King first!" Sora stated, both Donald and Goofy nodded in agreement. "And while were at it, find that DiZ character so we can find a way to go back home again!" Kirito added, with Asuna and Yui nodding in agreement with him. "But where could they be?" Donald asked. "Well, we won't know 'til we look." Goofy answered. "Yeah, and the King must know where Riku is, 'cause the two of them were together in the realm of darkness when we closed the door. You know, after defeating Ansem."

Asuna looked to Kirito. "I guess we now know why we're brought here." she told him, "What's going through your mind, right now?" "A lot of things." Kirito answered, "Everything that Yen Sid said about what DiZ told him, and what he said about what challenges we have to face. Not to mention that we were thrown into this mess because of a whim that DiZ had. Then there's the enemies we have to face; Heartless, Nobodies, and this Organization XIII. I get the feeling the nightmares I've been having before all this were a warning, telling me that I might have to face these sort of enemies."

"But I have a scary thought, and it's not one you're gonna like." Asuna told Kirito. "What's that?" Kirito asked. "If we were able to be sent to this dimension thanks to DiZ, who's to say the Heartless or this Organization hasn't figured out a way to get to our world?" Asuna predicted.

Kirito looked down in concern. She was right. If they were sent here, whose to say the enemy couldn't find a way back? Maybe DiZ isn't the only one who has a way for them to bring them back home. If that was the case, then they had no choice but to join Sora, Donald and Goofy in their journey to stop the Heartless, and find out what Organization XIII had in mind for them.

"I guess we should help these guys in defeating those enemies." Kirito concluded, "It is not only the safe thing to do, but it also might help us find DiZ, along with a way to get back home again." Asuna nodded in agreement, knowing that it was the right thing to do. "What do you think, Yui?" Kirito asked. "If it's okay with mama and papa, then it is okay with me!" Yui answered. The two chuckled at her statement.

"So, before you go, you will need more suitable traveling clothes." Yen Sid said, drawing the group's attention. He looked at Sora as he said, "Those look a bit too small for you." He then looked at Kirito and Asuna as he said, "And yours should be better made for your next journey." All three of them looked at their attire, agreeing or confused at what they were wearing according to Yen Sid. "Through there," Yen Sid continued, acknowledging the side door, "you'll find three good fairies. If you ask, they'll create appropriate garments for all of you."

"Gawrsh, Sora," said Goofy, "you sure are growing fast." "Uh, I guess..." Sora responded, chuckling in embarrassement. "Is that really necessary?" Kirito questioned, "I mean, our attire is already suitable for combat and for travel." "In ALO, definitely." Asuna agreed, "However, I think we might have to get new clothes for this journey, just to be safe. Besides, I want something a little less old-fashioned." Kirito sighed, but he agreed with Asuna, all except for the old-fashioned part. "You think I'll get a new look if I ask properly?" Yui asked them as she flew up to their head level. "Maybe," Asuna answered, giggling.

They all entered the side door, where they saw three short, stout women with the same gowns, capes and hats, but they were red, blue and green each. Their names were Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather They were huddled together with their backs turned to the group, talking to each other.

"Me, you guys, Riku, and the King." Sora said, "I don't care who this Organization is or what it's planning. With the seven of us- I mean, eight of us- there's nothing to worry about. Right?" "Yeah!" Donald agreed. Kirito counted off the people he said, and he came up with seven of them. Unless Sora was adding either Jiminy or Yui, he wasn't sure what the eighth person was.

All five of them walked towards the three women, drawing their attention. "Well, look who's here, dear!" Flora said, "Sora, Donald and Goofy! And I even see a couple of new faces!" She looked at the other two. "I'm Kirito," he introduced himself, "and this is Asuna and Yui." The girls bowed their heads upon their introductions.

"It is very nice to meet the both of you." Flora responded, smiling at the two. "Ooh, if your looking for clothes, you've come to the right place!" Merryweather stated as she and Flora brought Sora, Kirito and Asuna forward, Yui floated next to Donald and Goofy.

"I'll do the designing!" Fauna declared, waving her wand, and suddenly the three's clothing became green. "Oh, that will never do!" huffed Merryweather, waving her wand, making their clothes blue. "Now, now, dears." scorned Flora, turning their clothes red. "But don't you like this better?" asked Fauna, making their clothes green again. "Hold on!" said Flora, turning the clothes red again. "Are you certain?" asked Fauna, changing the color to green. "Blue!" cried Merryweather, making their clothes blue again.

On and on they changed the color of the clothes several times. Kirito, bored of all the color changing, looked up and saw a raven stare at them beadily before taking off. Kirito found the raven an ominous sign, but couldn't figure out why.

Finally, Asuna cried, "Enough of this already!" Kirito looked down, seeing each of them were in different colored attire; Kirito in blue, Asuna in red, and Sora in green. "Aww, would you just decide?" Sora asked mournfully. All three fairies realized what they were doing and looked at each other, somewhat embarrassed. "All right, then." said Flora, "Together now, dears. And no more squabbling!" The three of them waved their wands in unison, and all three Keyblade Wielders uniforms glowed brightly and transformed.

Sora's garments were somewhat like his old outfit, but it was baggy. His vest was black silver-lined, with yellow straps and was unzipped. It also included a black hoodie on the back. His short-sleeved shirt underneath was red and dark blue, and had silver outlines. His black and dark blue pants had more legging, and he had red bags on either leg, held by yellow straps. His shoes were big, black and yellow, and had straps that crossed it every which-way. He had on fingerless gloves which had studs on the back of them, and wrist-long sleeves. Finally, he wore his chain necklace with the crown on it.

Asuna's garments had some of the appearance of her original SAO outfit, but with several changes. Her top was about the same, but it was white with a blue and silver outline, and the center part of her uniform was a light blue with red outline underneath. The chest part was blue, with two pink, intersecting belts over her chest, and a silver heart connecting them, and yellow straps that wrapped around her neck. She wore white and blue-lined fingerless gloves, with detached sleeves that reached above her elbows. Instead of a skirt, she now wore tight, black shorts. Her cape became two strips of blue cloth that draped over either side of her hip, with a smaller blue strip hanging in the back, all tied underneath her top. Her stockings were the same color coordination as her sleeves. Her shoes were black and red, with silver armor pieces.

Kirito's attire was also somewhat like his SAO outfit, with some changes. He wore a gray and dark brown, high-collared shirt. His trench coat was still black and silver-lined, but it became knee-long, has a side pocket for Yui, and golden shoulder pads. He also wore two maroon intersecting straps across his chest. He wore a black belt with a silver buckle. His pants became slacks, and were brown. He also wore black fingerless gloves with elbow high sleeves and golden wrist guards. He wore a brown and gold piece of armor on his right forearm. His shoes were like his old, only black with dark brown stripe down the middle and dark brown straps, with silver buckles and golden toe-guards. Finally, he wore a necklace with what looked like a mini version of his Elucidator hilt.

_(Cue KH2.5 OST 'Sora')_

"Oh, my!" gasped Flora. "Ooh, their lovely." said Fauna. "Oh, yes! They all do look very dashing." praised Merryweather, who looked more at Asuna's, which had the most blue. Sora raised his hands, looking down himself at his new attire. Kirito looked at himself, feeling the piece of armor on his forearm, then lifting the Elucidator pendant he wore. Asuna turned to either side, getting every angle of her, then lifting the cloth pieces hanging from her hips, wondering if it was for function or for fashion.

Fauna also waved her wand to Donald, Goofy and Yui, and all the worn and stained parts of their attire suddenly faded away. "Hey, our attire is better!" Donald noticed. "We made sure to clean your attire up a bit." Fauna assured them. "Thank you so much, ma'am!" Yui thanked them.

"Well, it does feel comfortable." Kirito noted, now done fussing over his clothes." "And they do look pretty sharp." Sora added. "I think you two both look handsome." Asuna pointed out, "Plus, Kirito has more color on him. 'Bout time you had a look that was less monochrome." Kirito rubbed the back of his head, not realizing just how much he lacked color to other's eyes.

"Now, those aren't ordinary garments." Flora told them. "Each of them have very special powers." Fauna explained. Flora waved her wand, and a bright red orb appeared in front of both Sora and Kirito. "Take the orbs, dears." Fauna asked, "And watch what happens." The boys looked to one another, then they touched the orb simultaneously. Both orbs were absorbed into their clothing.

Suddenly, they were lifted off their feet and their clothes let out a burst of energy, and suddenly their clothes transformed. "Woah!" Asuna, Donald, Goofy and Yui gasped in amazement. Their clothes changed color coordinations, now adding more red to their outer coats, pants, gloves and shoes. They also gained outlined markings on their leggings and sleeves, along with the bottom sides of Kirito's coat. What was more startling was that they were wielding two Keyblades now.

Both Sora and Kirito looked themselves over, and saw the extra Keyblade, which startled them. "Woah!" Sora gasped, seeing his new weapon. "Wow!" Donald and Yui said together. "Two Keyblades!" Goofy pointed out. "A Dual Wield Form!" Kirito realized, seeing his new Keyblade, which looked like a cross between a sword and a gun, decorated with lion-like figures on his key and chain, "This will definitely come in handy!" "This journey's gonna be twice as difficult as your last." Merryweather said to Sora, who already looked worn out at the thought.

"Why don't I have one?" Asuna asked, looking jealous as she saw the boys in their new looks. "Your garments also have other powers," Flora answered, "but you will have to discover what they are as you continue on your journey." Asuna nodded in response, though deep inside she wanted to find her powers now. "Ok, I'll do my best. And thanks a lot!" thanked Sora.

"I wonder what these new Keyblades are called?" Kirito asked as he looked at both his and Sora's new Keyblades. Yui also examined the Keyblades, then gasped in realization. "What is it?" Donald asked her. "I don't know how, but somehow, I seem to know the names of their Keyblades!" Yui realized.

"How do ya know that?" Goofy asked her quizzically. "I'm not sure, but I can only guess that during the time we entered through the digital wormhole through DiZ's computer, I was granted access to all new kinds of information!"

"So, is it just the Keyblades you know about?" Asuna asked her. Yui closed her eyes, processing all the info she had in her mind. "No. I have more information inside of me that I didn't realize I had before." Yui answered, "Not only do I know info on the Keyblades, but magic powers, Heartless, Nobodies, even special items." "That's amazing!" Asuna gasped, Donald and Goofy sharing this reaction.

Yui floated over to Sora and Kirito, who heard what Yui said as well. "Sora, your Keyblade is called the 'Star Seeker'." Yui analyzed, "It is balanced, mainly towards strength, and adds more attack combos in midair." Yui then looked to Kirito's new Keyblade. "Papa, your Keyblade is called the 'Sleeping Lion'. It is similar in its' balance like Sora's, only your's gains extra attacks on the ground." "Sleeping Lion, huh?" Kirito muttered, seeing his Keyblade.

"Wow, Yui. You can give us all the info for all the Keyblades and stuff!" Sora exclaimed in amazement. "All that extra information you gained's gonna be really handy for our journey." Kirito stated, "Yui, we're counting on you!" Yui nodded and grinned, happy to help them out in that way.

"Oh, and there's something else for you," Fauna told them, "from Master Yen Sid." "Oh boy!" Donald cheered as he and Goofy looked at each other. Sora and Kirito's clothes glowed brightly once more, and reverted back to normal. "Then let's get going." Kirito told the crew, and as Yui dived into Kirito's pocket, they walked back to the main room.

Yen Sid standing at the moon-shaped window. He turned as they came in and beckoned them towards. Looking out the window, they saw something red and yellow with blue dome windows float outside the window. Kirito thought that it looked like a rocket ship of some sort.

"Hey! It's the Gummi Ship!" Donald proclaimed. The five of them dashed to the window to take a better look at the ship before them. "So what is this thing suppose to do?" Kirito asked the other three. "Its' our vessel that we use to travel to different worlds." Goofy answered. Kirito and Asuna were surprised at its' appearance, compared to what Goofy said about what it can do.

"So you guys ready to go?" Sora asked the group. All of them nodded, then they turned to Yen Sid, standing up straight in a line, Kirito and Asuna following them a few seconds later.

"Now, now, just a moment." Yen Sid said to them, causing them to slump slightly, "Because of your previous endeavors..." he spoke to Sora, Donald and Goofy as he said that, "...the worlds have returned to their original states. That means the pathways between them have disappeared." "You mean, we can't just go straight to them?" Asuna asked. She stared at Kirito, who shrugged.

"How do we get around?" Donald asked as he, Sora and Goofy slumped in despair. "Do not fear." Yen Sid reassured them, "If what the King suspected proves true, the worlds have prepared new pathways along which you may travel. These pathways may be utilized by unlocking special gates. How these gates are opened, I'm afraid I do not know. However, the Keyblade will serve as your guide."

The three Keyblade wielders looked at each other as Yen Sid continued, "When a beam of light radiates from the Keyblade, return to the Gummi Ship. Though the worlds may seem far apart and out of reach, they nonetheless remain connected by invisible ties. As do the hearts." "Our hearts are connected." Sora repeated. "That is correct." Yen Sid answered. Kirito placed his hand on his chest. He wondered if maybe his heart can reach out to all of his friends and family right now. "Got it!" Sora understood.

"But be warned." Yen Sid warned them, "As you proceed, the Heartless and the Nobodies will be using their own paths: Corridors of darkness, to travel from world to world. They may be attempting to link these dark pathways to the gates between the worlds." "Hey! That's not fair!" squawked Donald, placing a fist into his hand. Yen Sid nodded in agreement. "Now then, that is all the information I can give to you." he finished, "Go forth, Sora, Kirito, Asuna, Donald, and Goofy. Everyone is waiting."

"Okay, let's get going!" Sora said to them. He turned to Kirito and Asuna, who suspected what he was thinking. "Don't worry about us, Sora." Kirito assured him, "We may not like it right now, but we'll help you anyway we can. Besides, those Heartless and Nobodies sound like bad news, and we can't let them wander free." "Plus, who's to say they won't find a way to our dimension." Asuna pointed out, "We might as well take care of them WHILE we search for DiZ, just to be safe."

Sora hadn't thought about the fact that the enemies might target their home, too. "Then I guess that means we should take care of Organization XII as quickly as possible, so that all of our friends, families and homes are safe." Sora decided, with the team nodding in agreement.

Sora thrusted his hand in the middle of the group. Donald and Goofy placed their hands onto Sora's, feeling the nostalgia from doing this before with him. Kirito and Asuna smiled at one another, then got in close enough to place their hands on top of the others. Yui and Jiminy hopped out to join in. The team was now officially formed and ready to go.

They then once again stood upright in a line as they faced Yen Sid. "Master Yen Sid!" said Donald. "We sure do appreciate the help." Goofy stated as they all saluted him. They all dashed out of the main room, down the stairs and out the door entrance. Kirito noticed that Pete was no longer there anymore. He and the others looked up and saw the Gummi Ship above them.

Suddenly, a beam of light came from the ship, and landed on top of them. The light grew brighter around them, and suddenly they found themselves inside the Gummi Ship. Kirito had seen a couple of sci-fi shows involving space ships, and the interior definitely fit the part. The ship had three seats in it.

"Guess no one expected us to be here." Kirito assumed as Sora, Donald and Goofy settled into their seats. "Don't ya worry. We'll ask Chip and Dale to build in extra seats for ya." Goofy assured them. "Who are Chip and Dale?" Asuna asked. "They're the engineers for the Gummi Ship." Donald answered, "We'll call them later." "We'll settle back here for the time being." Kirito answered, settling himself on the back floor, leaning himself on the wall. Yui flew out and fell onto Kirito's lap, with Asuna settling right next to Kirito.

_(Cue KH OST 'Hand in Hand')_

"Ok then, let's go!" Sora declared as Donald took control, "Onward to the next world!" The ship soared up into the air, and into the starry sky. Kirito, Asuna and Yui watched the scene change before their eyes, knowing that this adventure was nothing compared to what they had experienced before.

"You scared?" Kirito whispered to Asuna. "Definitely." Asuna responded, "But with you here, I feel safe." "Same here." Kirito answered, "With you, me, Sora, Donald, Goofy and Yui working together, I believe there's nothing we can't accomplish in this new dimension." Those thoughts kept surging through them as the Gummi Ship took them away onward to the next big adventure.

* * *

**Hope this recreation is better than the last. As always, leave a comment, tell your friends, and wait for the next episode.  
**


	15. SAK Ep 25 Aincrad! ReMIX in Reality!

**Sorry for the long delay, but here it is! The remake of the Aincrad episode. Several changes have happened in comparison to the original, as well as the length of the episode. I hope you have the time to read through it all, though make sure to take breaks if need be. But here it is, at long last. Hope you enjoy the revised version of the Aincrad episode, of 'Sword Art Kingdom'.**

* * *

_I don't own Kingdom Hearts or Sword Art Online. I just use my imagination, and spread it throughout the world._

* * *

_(Kirito speaking) On our journey in Sora's dimension, Asuna, Yui and I got to experience things no other person in our world could get to do IRL. We got to travel to different worlds, which at first seemed impossible to us, but we managed to do so. We've seen multiple eras and places, people and creatures with incredible powers, and the three of us, along with Sora, Donald, Goofy, Jiminy, and even Leafa and Recon, got to not only see this with our own eyes, but live it._

_This was all thanks to that man, DiZ, who sent Asuna, Yui and I into this world, and to Naminé, who brought Leafa and Recon, as well. Why were we sent here? Because Sugou Nobuyuki, creator of the original ALO, and Asuna's ex-fiancé, was turned into a Nobody, dubbed the name 'Gouxus', and was in league with Organization XIII. A man of his wit and lust for control was needed to be dealt with, and DiZ figured who better to defeat him than people from our world. Specially-gifted people._

_I was one of those people, and so were Asuna and Suguha. We were special in the fact that we had a hidden power: to wield the mystical Keyblade. It was this weapon that led us through this journey, helping all of us stop the forces of evil. I was really thankful that it was only the five of us that had to deal with this mess. We didn't want others from our world to be involved with this mess, and DiZ doesn't intend to, either. However, Gouxus was a different story, and wanted to punish me and my friends in the cruelest way possible. But is like people say; With every problem, there is a silver lining in everything._

_(Cue 'Sense of Wonder' opening)_

* * *

**Organization Stronghold, Computer Room.**

Gouxus was typing away the complicated codes for his latest project. He stopped typing, examining all that which he had done, checking for errors. Ever since he discovered Kirito and Asuna had entered this dimension. He had discovered, after researching the work of Ansem the Wise, that it was possible to send things that are coded into this dimension, made real. However, Ansem the Wise wasn't able to teleport anything bigger than a grown man. Gouxus intended to surpass that, and bring something over to this dimension that no one could ever believe: Aincrad, Akihiko Kayaba's precious creation.

Gouxus rectified any mistakes he made in his code. He looked up at his completed work, and smirked menacingly. "Don't act like you are happy for your work." warned a voice from behind, "A Nobody doesn't have the heart to have such emotions." It was Saïx, Xemnas' righthand man, entering the room to see Gouxus' progress.

"Oh, spare me that dribble." Gouxus retorted, "Besides, I'm not happy. I'm pleased at the completion of my work." "So, you have finished creating this little 'side project'?" "Yes, after countless days of research and data crunching, I have finally created something that surpasses even Ansem's work."

"And what is it that you have made, exactly?" Saïx asked, "Xemnas even questions your goals in this." "It is aiding in your plans to bring about Kingdom Hearts, rest assured of that." Gouxus stated, "Only while you were concentrating your efforts on bringing about Sora's rage into defeating the Heartless by kidnapping that girl, I have developed a motive to enrage Kirito and Asuna."

"I see..." Saïx understood, "Then tell me, how will you draw out their rage?" Gouxus smirked at this. "By bringing a place they love into danger." He answered, and with that, he pressed the enter button on the keyboard, activating the program. From above, a satellite dish-looking device started to charge up, then shot into the air in full blast. A portal opened up, sending the beam through, heading to the destination.

* * *

**Aincrad: Floor 22 Forest Cabin**

Klein, Liz and Silica were scattered about in the cabin. Silica was brushing Pina, waiting for news from Sinon and Agil, who were off searching for any information on Kirito, Asuna and the other's whereabouts. Klein and Liz were speculating with one another where the five missing characters might be.

"I can't believe it has been over a month since we last saw those guys." Liz stated, "First Kirito, Asuna and Yui disappeared the day after that whole craziness in Aincrad. Leafa and Recon went to search for them, and a week later, THEY vanished. Poof! Without a trace."

"All we know is that Kirito, Asuna and Yui all were going to try out that quest that appeared after all that data mysteriously entered Aincrad." Klein recalled, "The moment they took it, them and the data all vanished. Their disappearances even got on the news, calling it the 'Data Phantom' or the 'Curse of Aincrad'."

"Has anyone found out where the data came from anyway?" Silica asked, hearing their conversation. "That's the thing; no one knows where the data came from in the first place." Liz answered, "It came without warning, and vanished just the same."

"Yeah, and people are speculating what might've happen." Klein stated, "Most say it was an extremely skilled hacker. Some say it was the result of Aincrad's revival, and that Akihiko Kayaba is still behind it. Some of the more weirder ones say it was the result of an alien experiment."

"Either way, it is not helping favoritism for VRMMO." Liz stated, "People are still recovering from the SAO incident, and more than 50% of the Players clearing Aincrad have left it. There're maybe 2,000 Players still braving Aincrad, right now, but there are rumors Aincrad might be removed from Alfheim Online." "Even after everything that happened before, I don't want this place to disappear." Silica muttered, "I mean, we've lived here for so long, it's like a second home to us."

The trio paused for a moment, then the front door opened, and Sinon and Agil entered the room. "Hey, guys." Agil greeted them, "I see you're still racking your brains about the others." "Did you find any new info?" Liz asked anxiously. "Nothing that we don't already know." Sinon answered, "Although, we did get the name of the quest those guys were on."

"What was the name of the quest?" Silica asked, "It might help us figure out where they are." "We thought the same thing." Agil answered, "See, the name of the quest was called 'Kingdom Hearts'. Although, we have no idea what that might refer too." The five of them pondered for a second on what the name might refer to, then Klein suggested, "Maybe it's a kingdom filled with hearts or something?" "Or maybe the hearts of a kingdom." Liz responded. "Okay, but where might that be?" Sinon asked. Everyone else had no answer. Though they had good guesses, they weren't sure if they were actual hints on where their friends might be.

Just then, the area started to shake all about them. "What the heck?!" Klein demanded, bracing himself on the chair. "An earthquake?" Sinon asked, trying to keep her footing, but ended up toppling over. "Impossible! Unless this is the result of a quest starting up!" Agil stated, bracing himself at the door. "Then what in Aincrad is going on?!" Liz demanded, holding onto Silica for dear life.

Outside of Aincrad, the Players of Alfheim looked up at the sight of something horrifying. A swirl of white, gray and black energy started pouring from a wormhole in the sky, surrounding itself around Aincrad. It bound and stuck to multiple parts of the floating castle, like hundreds of streamers that stuck at the end. When all were connected, Aincrad was pulled upwards into the wormhole, slowly but surely. After several seconds, the entirety of Aincrad disappeared, vanishing without a trace.

The supposed earthquake lasted for several minutes, and it got worse as Aincrad was sucked into the wormhole. The data around them started acting funny, including Pina, but Silica held her close to her body, making sure nothing would happen to her. However, just as suddenly as it started, it stopped. The five friends and Pina all looked about, wondering what happened. "Is everyone okay?" Sinon asked. "My head is still spinning, but otherwise, I'm good." Liz answered. "What was that all about?" Silica asked, holding Pina in her arms, frightened. "I don't know. Let me check…" Agil answered, and he stepped outside.

The area outside did look slightly disheveled. It would be unusual, considering the environment of a VRMMO wouldn't be affected this badly by an earthquake unless that was suppose to happen. However, apart from that, the environment looked the same. "Doesn't look like anything is completely out of the ordinary." Agil told everyone, "The place is a mess, but otherwise, it's okay." "Did a quest flag really cause all this?" Liz asked, looking about.

"What the crap?!" gasped Klein, and everyone turned to see him swiping his arm down continuously. "What is it, Klein?" Liz asked. "I can't seem to pull up the menu." Klein responded, swiping his hand in a more aggressive manner, "I just…can't…do it!" "Jeez, if that's the case, then let me…" Liz started, swiping her hand to pull up her menu, but it didn't work. She tried it a couple more times, but nothing happened. "What the…?" Liz asked in a confused manner, "I can't pull up my menu!" Agil, Silica and Sinon all tried as well, but they couldn't summon their menu screens either. "None of us can do it." Sinon responded. "What's going on?" Silica asked, with Pina chirping in confusion.

Just then, Shadow Heartless suddenly appeared behind Agil, who turned to see them. "Woah, what's this?!" Agil gasped, seeing the monsters. The others turned to see the black, insect-like creatures standing at their doorstep. "Monsters?! But why are they at the house?!" Liz demanded, "Monsters don't usually get this close!"

Klein dashed forward, pulling out his katana, and taking a swipe at the monster. He knocked a pair of them away from the house, though it looked like it didn't do much. The third Shadow leapt up and slashed at Klein, who gasped in pain as he stumbled back, clutching his arm. "Are you okay, Klein?" Silica asked. "Jeez, what's with you?" Liz asked. "It's not me!" Klein retorted, lifting his hand to see a cut on his arm, and it was bleeding slightly.

"Klein, you're bleeding!" Sinon gasped, surprising the girls. "No way…" Klein muttered in shock, "These creatures are hurting us…like we were IRL!" "But how is that possible?!" Liz demanded, "What the heck is going on here?!" Her voice seemed to echo throughout Aincrad, but she wasn't the only one demanding that question, either.

* * *

**Olympus Coliseum: Underworld Coliseum**

_(Cue SAO II OST 'Light your Sword')_

Kirito and Auron skidded back to a halt, standing right by Sora, Donald, Goofy, Asuna, and Hercules. Hades, whom they had just dealt a heavy blow on, was straightening himself again, producing fireballs in his hands as the flames around his body started turning red. "He's not going down that easy, is he?" Asuna asked as Kirito regained his breathing. "Then we should give it all we have to take him down!" Sora declared. "Good thinking, Sora." Kirito agreed, "Let's give him all we have!"

The trio of Keyblade wielders stood up straight, then their bodies bursted with energy. "_Valor_!" Kirito shouted. "_Wisdom!_" Asuna cried out. "_Master!_" Sora declared. All three of them entered their own Drive Forms. "Oh, please. You think your little costume change is gonna scare me?" Hades asked, "I've seen more frightening things on the underside of my toes!"

"Herc!" Donald shouted. "One Hades extinguisher, coming up!" Hercules responded, summoning a pair of light orbs, tossing them ahead. Kirito got in front of them, holding his Rumbling Rose and Oblivion Keyblades at the ready, then smacked the two orbs as hard as he could at Hades, who didn't dodge in time, and got hit hard by the attack, reducing his flames to blue.  
Asuna skated around Kirito, and unleashed a volley of Blizzara spells at Hades, making sure she was far enough from him and moving about. Hades snarled at Asuna, then unleashed fireballs at her, but she just glided about, the attacks missing her. Sora came from behind Hades, surprising him, and unleashing a storm of slashes from the two Keyblades he wielded. With one final cross-slash, he sent Hades crashing into the ground, causing an eruption of debris to go flying.

Hades got back up, clutching his side as Sora landed and charged at him. Hades disappeared in a puff of smoke before Sora struck, reappearing at the edge of the pit into the swirling green abyss of souls. He turned to see the heroes all glaring up at Hades. "It's…not over…yet…" he moaned, slowly stepping backwards. He suddenly started to stumble as his heels reached the edge of the pit.

He was trying to regain his balance as the Navigation Pixie, Yui, flew up and into Hades' face. "Actually, it IS over!" Yui told him off, and she inhaled deeply, and blew on Hades' fiery hair, blowing it out. Hades grabbed his bald head, lost his balance, and fell into the abyss, his scream slowly fading away as he fell deeper and deeper.

Yui looked down at the abyss, then turned to her family and friends. "Way to go, Yui!" Sora cheered. "And the final attack bonus goes to Yui." Kirito stated amusingly, making Asuna giggle. "That's our daughter." she pointed out. Yui smiled at the praise she was being given, and gave a thumbs up.

* * *

A few hours later, the heroes had returned back to the Gummi Ship, going to their individual seats. "Well, that's one more world taken care of." Kirito stated as Asuna sighed in relief when she sat. "That was one tough battle we had to deal with." Sora muttered, "But I'm glad Herc and everyone else is okay." "So where to next?" Goofy asked as he and Donald watched Yui reach the computer.

She was just starting to type when Chip and Dale suddenly appeared on the screen of the computer. "Guys, I'm glad you made it back!" Chip squeaked, "We really need your help!" "Why? What's going on?" Sora asked as Jiminy popped out of his clothing. "We're not even sure, ourselves." Dale replied, "All of a sudden, we got reports of some weird energy fluctuations happening somewhere nearby your position." "When we pinpointed the location where it came from, we stumbled upon this…" Chip finished, and he pulled up a picture on the screen of a place in the space they were in.

The place was far too familiar to Kirito, Asuna and Yui, who were in shock. "You gotta be kidding me!" Kirito cried out in shock. "There's no way…" Yui muttered, to amazed for words. "This…this is impossible!" Asuna gasped. Donald, Goofy, Jiminy and Sora all looked to the trio, wondering what they were so panicked about. "You know that place?" Jiminy asked. Kirito nodded, his expression changing from shock to seriousness. "We know that world far too well." he answered, "That world…no, that place. It's Aincrad, the floating castle from Sword Art Online."

"This doesn't make sense." Asuna muttered, walking up right next to Kirito, scared, "Why would Aincrad be in this dimension?!" "So, that place came from the virtual world you were in before coming here?" Sora questioned. "Yes, but none of us expected to it be here." Kirito explained.

"Maybe it was sent here the same way the three of us were." Yui suggested, "It's possible that maybe someone like DiZ brought Aincrad to this dimension." "But that can't be right." Kirito retorted, "According to what we heard, DiZ only wanted me, Asuna and Suguha, because he thought we had the power to wield Keyblades. Yui and Recon only came here by our choice. If he wanted to bring everyone from our world here, wouldn't he have done that in the first place?" "I guess that's true." Asuna understood.

"Then who d'ya think would bring that place into this dimension?" Goofy asked. "There is one person that I have in mind." Kirito responded, glaring up at Aincrad, "He has the biggest reason to do this out of anyone who came from our dimension. He has a grudge on the creator of Aincrad, and has a vengeance against me and Asuna." "Gouxus." Asuna understood, her eyes narrowing as she thought about that Nobody.

There was a pause as the heroes all looked at Aincrad, floating in space. If Gouxus was the one who did this, and sent Aincrad here, then his objective was clear; get the Heartless to this world and turning the Players in there into Heartless. This would no doubt enrage Kirito and Asuna into action, and give more hearts to the Organization to use to create Kingdom Hearts. It was just the same as them capturing Kairi to enrage Sora into fighting.

"We need to tell Leafa and Recon about this, Kirito." Asuna told him, who nodded in understanding. "Yui, see if you can call the others at the computer in Merlin's house." he requested. "I'm on it!" Yui answered. "We'll help you from here, too!" Chip added as he and Dale started to work about their control center. It took a minute, but Yui and the chipmunks managed to succeed in accessing the computer, seeing Cid's face on the other end as he was at Merlin's computer.

"Hey, now!" he cried out in shock, "What is this?" "Sorry about that." Goofy apologized. "Well, if it ain't you guys." Cid greeted them, "You sure know how to pick a way to communicate with us." "That sounded like Goofy." Aerith's voice spoke up off screen, "Is Sora and the others on the computer?" "Sure seems that way." Cid called out.

Within a few seconds, Aerith, Leafa and Recon crowded the computer screen, shoving Cid behind them. "Kazuto!" Leafa called out, surprised at this sudden call. "Sugu, Recon. You're just the people we called for." Kirito replied. "Why, is something wrong?" Leafa asked. "We have really bad news." Asuna started. "Aincrad is here, in this dimension." Kirito followed.

"Are you serious?!" Recon demanded as he and Leafa looked shocked. "Why? How is this possible?!" Leafa demanded. "We think it's Gouxus' fault." Asuna replied, "He set this up so the Heartless can prey on that world, and causing us to fight more of them in order to protect it!"

"That guy is seriously cruel!" Leafa snarled, furious that Gouxus would do such a thing. "What can we do?" Recon asked. "We need you guys to figure out a way to bring Aincrad back home." Kirito told them, "Maybe Ansem's computer has something." "Leon's investigating the computer as we speak." Aerith explained, "I'll go on ahead to warn him." With that, Aerith left the view of the screen, replacing it with Cid as he raised himself off the ground, moaning from being tossed back.

"If you find anything out, call us, okay?" Kirito told them. "Sure thing, Kazuto." Leafa responded, "We promise, we won't let Aincrad fall because of the Heartless." "Let's hope we find something." Recon told her, "We haven't really found any ways of returning home, ourselves." "Yeah, but we haven't had a reason to until now!" Leafa retorted, "Let's get moving!" "We'll go to Aincrad to investigate." Kirito told her, "Let's shut down Gouxus' plan!" "Right!" Leafa and Recon answered, and the computer screen went blank.

"Yui?" Asuna started. "Chip and Dale sent the coordinates to the Gummi Ship's computer." Yui responded, "I'm locking them in." Sora came behind Kirito and Asuna, a look of seriousness expressed on his face. "We'll save your home. Don't worry about it." Sora replied, then added, "Plus, I would like to see where you guys came from." "We aren't there for sight-seeing, Sora." Kirito warned him, "Let's take care of the problem, then move on." With that, everyone went to their seats, and readied themselves as the Gummi Ship flew through space.

* * *

Within an hour of departure, the heroes finally discovered the floating castle, drifting in space like a space station. "There it is." Asuna muttered. "Well, let's go in there." Donald decided, waddling to the transporter. "I have access to the Town of Beginning on floor 1." Yui explained as she tapped away on the computer, "If anything, we might find some clues there." "Do it." Kirito responded, "Okay, everyone. Let's move!" Everyone climbed into the transporter as Yui activated it, and flew over to them as the transporter teleported them down to Aincrad.

When they came out of teleportation, the six heroes found themselves in the main plaza of the Town of Beginnings, right beside the teleport gate. The area was quiet, despite how it not only was a huge city, but also a place Kirito and Asuna knew contained tons of people about, being the starting point and main access to Aincrad from Alfheim. This did not bode well, despite that being the only thing out of place.

"So this is what Aincrad looks like, huh?" Sora said in amazement as he, Donald and Goofy looked about. "It's huge!" Donald gasped. "The Town of Beginnings is the starting point to this area, but it covers about twenty percent of this floor." Yui explained, "And don't forget, this is just one of the hundred floors in Aincrad." "That's a lot of ground!" Sora gasped, looking high into the sky, seeing the massive pillar in the center of Aincrad.

"Yui, do you have any access to this world?" Kirito asked. "A little. But considering my current state, I only have minimal info to give about the area." Yui explained, "I can't access the Cardinal system of Aincrad in my realistic form." "Can you at least tell us how many Players are in this world?" Asuna asked, hopefully. "Let me see…" Yui replied, closing her eyes, and placing her hands on the sides of her head.

"There are a total of 2,174 Players currently in Aincrad." Yui analyzed, "Most of them are on the higher levels, mainly in groups." "What about Cardinal?" Kirito asked "Most of its' programs were shut down when it was transferred here, including the ability to produce enemy monsters, NPCs, and even accessing the Player's menu." Yui explained, "Apart from that, it is still functioning."

"That does make sense." Kirito understood, "I mean, Players and AIs are able to sustain a form when transferring to real life because we have hearts. Still, that means Players can't access their weapons or gear if they didn't have them on prior to coming here." "Which means they'll be vulnerable to the Heartless." Asuna finished his statement. The two looked worried.

"Well, I don't know about you, but standing about here isn't gonna help your world go back home." Sora stated, "Let's go and figure out where everyone is at." "Right." Asuna responded as Kirito nodded in agreement.

They had just started to move when suddenly, Heartless appeared all about them. "Incoming, fellas!" Goofy warned them as they all produced their weapons. "They didn't waste any time, did they?" Kirito growled, ready to take them out. The monsters consisted of Shadows and Lance Soldiers, who weren't to difficult to defeat, assuming they avoid its' weapon and even use it against them.

Once they cleared the area of Heartless, the heroes grouped together once more. "If the Heartless have already made it to Aincrad, we're in big trouble." Asuna said in a worried manner. "I just hope none of our friends are in trouble because of this." Kirito muttered.

"I'm sure they're okay." Sora assured them as Yui landed on his shoulder. "How do you know that?" the pixie asked. "I don't." Sora replied, "But I believe in what I say is true, and if I believe in it hard enough, it'll becomes the truth!"

"Believe in it hard enough…until it becomes true, huh?" Kirito asked. "Sure. It's better than worrying all the time." Sora responded. Kirito and Asuna turned to one another, seeing Sora's view. He was right. In a way, all they had to do was not give up hope, and things'll turn out okay for them.

Just then, the warp gate behind them activated, and they turned, ready to face what came out. However, what, or who, came out was a pair of people Kirito, Asuna and Yui knew well. It was Klein and Liz, both respectively in their Salamander and Leprechaun garments.

Klein was in a samurai-like uniform, looking half and half with one part short and dark blue, the other being long and red, with draped sleeves ending with fire marks. He wore brown-colored armor with a white sashed hanging outside and underneath it and around the waist, and he wore a black and yellow bandana on his head.

Liz's attire looked battle-ready, but also a well-enough look for a blacksmith like herself, consisting of a mainly red, white and yellow attire, with gauntlets and silver armor pieces on her chest, left shoulder and hips. She also wielded her mace and a small shield.

The two looked around the area for a second, then spotted the party nearby them. "Woah, it's Kirito!" gasped Klein. "And Asuna! And Yui, too!" Liz added, surprised. "Liz!" Asuna greeted happily. "Klein!" Kirito gasped as the two raced off the warp gate. Liz pounced onto Asuna, pulling into a hug as Klein grabbed Kirito and pulled him into an uncomfortable one. Both Klein and Liz were saying mixed words of how glad they found them again simultaneously. Asuna was responding how grateful she was to see them as well, while Kirito was struggling to free himself of Klein's grip.

"Seriously, what the heck happened to you guys?" Klein asked as Kirito finally pushed himself away. "Yeah, I mean, the three of you were gone for a long time after that bug entered Aincrad." Liz stated, "It's become such a big deal, that it has even hit the news! I know you guys like being together, but don't make us worry like that!"

Kirito and Asuna looked surprised that their disappearance had escalated. "I didn't expect it to be that big." Kirito pointed out. "How long were we gone for?" Asuna asked. "It's been over a month and a half." Klein answered, "You guys, plus Leafa and that other guy, Recon, have been transferred to the hospital. Haven't you guys been tracking how long you've been out?" The two heroes looked to each other, worried. Over a month and a half. To think that it has been that long since they left the virtual world, and entered Sora's dimension. They couldn't help but feel guilty about this.

"We're sorry for leaving you like that." Asuna apologized, "But we had a good reason why we couldn't get back home again." "Yeah, but now's not the place to explain it." Kirito pointed out, "Are any of the others here?" "Yeah. Sinon, Silica and Agil are camped out at your place on Floor 22." Klein pointed out. "Good. Cause we've got a lot of explaining to do." Asuna stated.

"You'd better explain it to all of us!" Liz stated promptly, "Plus, I would like to know what's with those new clothes you guys are wearing, along with…" She looked behind to see Sora, Donald and Goofy standing there, who were silent all this time, "…who those guys are, and what's with those two's avatars?" She was speaking about Donald and Goofy, who looked to one another, confused. "Hate to tell you this, but that's their IRL look." Kirito stated as he walked past Klein to the warp gate. "Say what?!" Klein gasped. "Like we said, we have a lot of explaining to do." Kirito repeated.

Liz watched Kirito, Asuna and Yui go to the gate with disbelief, then turned to see Sora, Donald and Goofy approach her. "Nice to meet you. I'm Sora." Sora greeted her, "These two are Donald and Goofy." "Uh, hi." Liz replied in a dazed manner, "I'm Lisbeth. Call me Liz." "And I'm Klein, one of Kirito's best buds." Klein followed abruptly, looking at them with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion.

"C'mon, you guys!" Asuna called to them, "We need to act quickly!" "Right!" Sora responded. "Let's go!" Donald squawked as he, Sora and Goofy passed Liz and Klein to the warp gate. The two SAO Players looked to one another, confused, then followed suit, climbing onto the platform. "_Teleport: Coral_!" Asuna shouted, and the warp gate activated, sending the heroes away in a blue light.

* * *

They arrived at the edge of the town of Coral on floor 22, and they walked off it, with Sora, Donald and Goofy looking about the area with amazement. "How big is this place?" Sora asked, looking about. "It's nine kilometers in diameter, but most of it is covered with lakes and forests." Yui explained. "Our house is further in. Let's go." Kirito told the team, and they started walking along the gravel road.

"Tell us, has anything…strange happen, recently?" Asuna questioned Liz. "You mean you haven't noticed?" Liz responded. "Didn't you guys feel the earthquake that appeared on every freakin' floor?" Klein asked. "Earthquake?" Kirito asked. "Yeah, a huge one!" Klein responded, "People have been saying it happened everywhere in Aincrad." "When it was over, lots of crazy things happened." Liz followed, "No one can pull up their menu screens, our Swords Skills and magic are no longer responding, and we can't even pull out our wings!" "That explains why we are walking." Kirito stated.

"That's not even the worse of it." Klein continued, "There are also these weird monsters with yellow eyes that keep attacking us out of nowhere,and get this; they even attack us in safe zones." "We can't seem to do much to them with our weapons, but for some reason, they can do damage to us!" Liz stated, "I mean, look at Klein's arm." Klein revealed the rip in his sleeve from the monster, with the rims of the rip stained in a thin amount of blood.

"I managed to bandage it up, but those things hurt, man!" he pointed out, "It's almost as if…" "Everything is IRL, right?" Kirito finished his statement. "Yeah." Klein answered. Both he and Liz looked to Kirito and Asuna's worried faces. "Something tells me you guys know more than what you're letting on." Liz stated suspiciously.

Suddenly, the heroes saw a bunch of Shadow and Lance Soldier Heartless appear, along with a Morning Star. "Not these things again!" Klein panicked, readying his katana. "Leave it to us!" Sora declared as he, Donald and Goofy got in front, and produced their weapons before Liz and Klein's eyes, surprising them.

The trio went to work, unleashing all their attacks onto the Heartless as best as they could. Goofy almost got toppled by the Morning Star, but Sora slapshot it into the air, accidentally making it fall towards Liz and Klein. However, Kirito and Asuna summoned their Keyblades, leapt up, and slashed it on both sides, making it disappear in a dark vapor, sending a heart floating into the air. They landed onto the ground as Sora, Donald and Goofy cleaned up the last of the Heartless.

"Okay, what the hell was that?!" Klein demanded, racing up to Kirito and grabbing his shoulder. "Which part?" Kirito asked. "That!" Klein responded, pointing at the Keyblades and weapons of the heroes, "Those weapons! How did you summon them without pulling out your menu screen?" "Yeah, I'd like a fair explanation on what the hell that was all about." Liz demanded to Asuna, making her back off slightly. She then swiped Asuna's Keyblade out of her hands, and held it in both of her hands, examining it.

"I've never seen a weapon like this." Liz pointed out, "Is it suppose to be a sword?" "Yeah. It's called a Keyblade." Asuna replied, "It's what we use to fight the Heartless." "Heartless?" Liz questioned. "Those monsters we were fighting? Those are Heartless." Kirito explained.

"Dude, you have to show us where you can get one of those key-blade thingies." Klein told Kirito. "It's not really something you can get so easily." Sora warned them as Liz handed back Asuna's Keyblade back to her. "Sora, mama and papa are the only ones who can wield them." Yui pointed out. "We'll get into further details once we get back to the Forest House." Kirito told the two confused Players. With that, they continued on their way.

* * *

It took several minutes, mainly due to fighting Heartless that impeded in their path. However, the group found themselves at the log cabin in the middle of the forest. It was just the same as how they left it before. "Is this where you guys live?" Sora asked. "It is, in-game." Kirito answered. "It's the place we lived in when we were married in SAO, and it was where we took care of Yui when we met her." Yui smiled as she remembered those days.

Kirito knocked on the front door as Klein and Asuna stood by him. "Who is it?" Silica's voice called on the other side. "It's us." Klein answered, "We found something that'll surprise you." Silica opened the door up a crack, seeing who it was, then opened it completely at the surprise. As a Cait Sith, she had brown cat ears and a tail that matched her hair color. Her battle garments were a blue coat with a metal chest plate, a black skirt underneath, and her dagger sheathed behind her back. Pina, her aqua-blue, small feathered dragon, was on top of her head.

"Kirito! Asuna! And Yui!" Silica cried out happily as Pina cried in surprise. Sinon and Agil, who were waiting with their weapons ready, saw the returned heroes, and looked surprised and relieved.

Agil was an African-American man, muscular, wearing his Gnome garments, which was mainly an olive green color, with heavy armor pieces on his chest, left shoulder, and on his boots. Plus, he carried a two-handed axe in his hands.

Sinon, like Silica, was a Cait Sith, but had light blue hair, ears and tail. She wore a green coat with a silver chest piece, black short-shorts, and held a bow in her hands while her quiver was behind her shoulder.

"Well, look who decided to show up!" Agil greeted them. "Figures you would appear during a moment like this." Sinon huffed as she placed her bow away. "Glad to see all of you are okay." Kirito sighed in relief as Silica hugged Asuna while Yui and Pina greeted one another.

Sora, Donald and Goofy entered the room, and the three who didn't know them looked at them, curiously. "Who are these guys?" Sinon questioned. "These guys are our friends." Kirito introduced them, "It's thanks to them that we've survived this long." "Hey there. I'm Sora." Sora greeted the trio. "I'm Donald!" the duck followed. "Howdy there. I'm Goofy." Goofy finished.

"Nice to meet you." Silica greeted them, "I'm Silica, and this is my best friend, Pina." Pina chirped in greeting them. "Hey there, you guys. The name's Agil." Agil introduced himself. "I'm Sinon. So, are those your two avatars?" Sinon questioned Donald and Goofy. "This is what we really look like!" Donald squawked angrily. "Easy, Donald." Asuna calmed him, "These guys don't understand what's going on." "Yeah, mind telling us what's happening NOW?" Liz asked seriously. Kirito cleared his throat, getting everyone's attention. "I think you guys need to sit down." he told the Players, "This might take some time to explain, even if I try shortening it."

Once the five Players sat down, Kirito, Asuna, Yui, and a little help from Jiminy, started to explain everything that happened to them, starting from the Kingdom Hearts quest, to how they appeared in Sora's dimension and why, to how they gained the Keyblades, then about the quest they were sent on with Sora and his friends, what was happening to Leafa and Recon, to the enemies they've faced, all the way up to Aincrad being sent to this dimension as well, and why. When they were done, the five Players were speechless.

"…So that's everything." Asuna finished. "If Gouxus' plan works out, then all the Players currently in Aincrad will be turned to Heartless, and we'll have no choice but to destroy them before they become bigger trouble." "But if what you said is true, then that will help this Organization XIII group in gaining Kingdom Hearts." Silica pointed out. "Exactly." Sora muttered, "Which is why we have to get you guys back home as soon as possible before we have to face more Heartless."

"Jeez, I've heard a lot of crazy things can happen in the virtual world. But this takes the cake." Liz muttered. "Never thought Aincrad would become a reality, let alone become another death trap game, again." Agil stated.

Kirito looked down, sad. "Sorry, you guys." he apologized, "It's because of us that you guys are involved in all in all of this." "Hey, it's no problem." Klein responded. "Based on what you said, you guys had it a lot worse than us." Sinon stated, "I mean, what with fighting Heartless and this Organization, you've really have your work cut out for you. And if Aincrad is in a dimension with those kinds of problems, this does not bode well for any of us." "That's why we're here." Asuna stated, "We need to return Aincrad back to the virtual world again, and fast."

There was a brief pause, then Klein stood up and said, "Well, if our lives are already on the line, we might as well pitch in and help save the Players here, all over again." "Yep. No use standing around and moping about." Liz stated as she shouldered her mace, "We need to get moving and save our game." "I'm willing to help any way I can!" Silica declared, though her expression showed some anxiety. Pina also chirped eagerly, ready to help. "Count me in. Can't let you cats have all the fun." Agil stated. "Looks like our votes are in." Sinon ended, smiling at the heroes, "We're all helping you guys out."

Kirito and Asuna didn't know whether to be grateful or worried about their friends helping them out. Then Sora placed his hands on their shoulders, and they turned to him, seeing the broad grin on his face. "You guys have some really nice friends." Sora stated, "I can see why you worry about them." "Yeah, and why I'm even more worried about them, now." Kirito muttered as Asuna giggled at the difference in demeanor between Kirito and Sora. "Still, we might need all the help we can get." she pointed out to Kirito. "I'm not rejecting their help. I'm just worried, that's all." Kirito corrected her.

The three Keyblade wielders turned to the crowd. "Okay, then." Kirito told the team, "I may not be totally comfortable about this, but we'll use all the support we can get. Leave most of the heavy fighting to Sora, Asuna and I. These Heartless rely mainly on instinct, so they don't have algorithmic patterns like normal monsters. Plus, they are drawn to those who wield the Keyblade, so we'll get a lot of attention." "As if that's stop our cool crew, yet!" Klein stated with a grin.

"So what's the first task we need to do in order to get Aincrad back home?" Silica asked. "Well…we're not sure." Kirito replied, "I mean, we figured something is holding Aincrad here, thanks to Gouxus, but we're not sure how." "Maybe we should start searching about for the cause, then." Sinon suggested. "That'll take too long." Asuna replied, "The more time we spend searching, the more Players get attacked by the Heartless."

"Why don't you try finding it, Yui?" Silica suggested. "Yeah! Yui is suppose to be an AI in this world. She did tell us how many people are currently in Aincrad." Sora reminded himself. "Yes, but I already told you; I don't have access to the full Cardinal system anymore. Not since I became a living being." Yui pointed out.

The crew thought for a moment about what they should do, then Asuna gasped, "Hold on! What if we use a GM Console? We might be able to find out the cause of the problem AND restore Yui's connection to the system, again." "That might be able to work." Yui replied, "And I know just where to find one; underneath the Black Iron Palace, where I used it to save mama and papa."

"Then I guess it's back to floor 1, again." Asuna decided. "Okay, everyone. Let's go save the Players of Aincrad!" Kirito declared. "YEAH!" cheered everyone else.

* * *

After going through the warp back to where they started, the team made their way to the Black Iron Palace, and entered within. Kirito recalled where the entrance inside the area was, and led the team underneath the palace.

"I didn't know a place like this existed underneath the first floor." Agil pointed out. "The last time we came here, it was to help Yulier save Thinker, the head of the Liberation Army." Asuna recalled, "It was during that rescue that we discovered who Yui really was, and Kirito saved her by transforming her into a game item." Yui hugged Kirito for that, while Kirito looked at Yui, grateful for his quick-thinking in saving her.

Meanwhile, Sora was looking curiously at Sinon and Silica's avatars, who turned at the presence of his gaze. "What are you staring at?" Sinon questioned suspiciously. "Nothing! I just never saw anyone like you guys." Sora replied in a defensive manner. "Yeah, we've seen all kinds of folk, but nothing like you." Goofy pointed out.

"Besides talking dragons, genies, wizards and Greek mythological characters, you've never seen a normal person with a cat tail and ears before?" Kirito questioned in an amused manner. Goofy rubbed his nose as Sora rubbed the back of his head, chuckling nervously on how he had seen stranger things than this.

Donald was right behind Silica, seeing her tail swish about. Then acting out of curiosity, the duck grabbed her tail. Like all Cait Sith Players, Silica reacted with a tense body and a scream. Sinon immediately reacted by hammering Donald on the head, slamming him to the ground. Pina pounced on top of him, chomping on his tail, making Donald squawk in pain. "I could cook you for that!" Sinon roared, while Silica held her tail, blushing.

Everyone else paused to look at the scene taking place, while Donald dazedly apologized. "As far as I know, Kirito was the only one who did that and walked away without injury." Klein stated, reminding himself of when Kirito pulled Sinon's tail some time ago. "How Asuna and the others became friends with them is beyond me…" Liz muttered.

They continued further into the dungeon, where they discovered tons of Heartless that got in the way of the heroes and their destination. The five heroes went to work, demonstrating the skills and magic to the five Players. Asuna even demonstrated her Wisdom Drive Form to them, unleashing magic bullets and upgraded magic attacks onto the monsters, defeating them pretty quickly.

"Their new powers are something else." Sinon pointed out, watching Asuna leap over a charging Soldier Heartless and taking it out with an enhanced Fira spell. "Despite how odd their weapons are, they're more effective at fighting the monsters than us." Agil stated, witnessing Sora and Donald working together by unleashing their Thunder and Thundara spells, taking out surrounding Heartless.

"What I want to know is where WE can get powers like those." Klein wondered jealously, while Kirito backed off whiled Goofy defended him against a Shadow. "We pretty much got them from discovering areas and defeating powerful enemies." Kirito pointed out, unleashing a Blizzara spell to take out the Heartless.

It took a while to get to the lowest floor they could possibly go, finding themselves along a straight path to a door that led to a shining white room, along with a cubic stone slab. "That's the GM Console." Kirito pointed out. "Come on, let's go!" Silica cheered, and she, Pina and Goofy raced ahead of the group. "Wait, Silica! It's still too dangerous!" Kirito called to her.

Just as they got about halfway there, the trio was stopped by the sudden appearance of Guardian Nobodies. "More Nobodies!" Sora noticed as he, Kirito and Donald raced towards the trio. "And the ones Gouxus is controlling!" Kirito growled, "I bet he knew what we were trying to do!"

Silica and Pina hid behind Goofy as he placed up his shield. Kirito bounded forward, taking out the first Nobody that got close to them. He started swinging at each of them, dodging their spear-like swords, retaliating with his Keyblade.

Suddenly, Kirito got struck a couple times by a pair of light arrows. He grimaced, then turned to see in the far back of the horde that there were Guardians with bows and arrows made of light. "Crap… They have the archer variant here, too!" Kirito told himself as he repelled the arrows as best as he could, while Asuna protected the rest of the party with a Reflera spell.

"Sora!" Donald squawked, "Let's get 'em together!" "Right!" Sora responded, and the two unleashed their Limit Break 'Duck Flare'. Donald hopped onto Sora's back, and started summoning a multitude of firework rockets, which homed in on each Nobody. This gave Kirito and Goofy a chance to back Silica and Pina away from the two's onslaught as they unleashed all they could. The Nobodies couldn't even get close to them, and the arrows were repelled by the explosions. With one final assault of rockets, Donald and Sora managed to take out every Nobody in the corridor.

"That's…amazing!" gasped Agil. "What the heck did they just do?!" Klein asked in amazement. "That was a Limit Break." Asuna explained, "It's a powerful technique that requires at least two of us to perform together, and they each are different. However, they do drain our magic energy, so we can't use it continuously."

"Are you guys able to do it with anyone?" Silica asked Kirito. "Not exactly." Kirito explained, "Asuna and I are still unable to unleash a Limit Break together, but we're able to do it with either Sora, Donald or Goofy." The two sword fighters looked at one another, wondering what they were missing in order to utilize their own Limit Break. "Guys, don't you want to help Yui save your world?" Sora called out to the two. "Oh, right." Kirito replied, shaking his head back into the mission at hand, and the team raced towards the GM Console.

As soon as Kirito and Yui reached the console, Yui activated the holographic keyboard, along with the screen. "The Cardinal system is still active, even while this world is a reality." Kirito stated. "The GM Consoles are connected to the Cardinal system and all the data contained in its' memory, almost like a series of terminals connected to the mainframe computer system." Yui explained, "It's kind of the same as the consoles and systems in Tron's world." "Who's world?" Klein asked. "Just a world inside of a computer." Kirito answered simply. "But it is a lot more unusual from the VRMMOs we've played, and plenty more dangerous." Asuna added.

Kirito began working at the console while Yui sat on his shoulder and everyone surrounded them, waiting with baited breath. Sinon was the only one looking outside, making sure no enemies were coming. "Have you got whatever it is done, yet?" Sora asked after about twenty seconds. "Be patient, Sora." Kirito responded, "This isn't as easy as hacking into Ansem's computer."

After a couple minutes, Kirito pulled up something on the screen of the computer, with much info, including the schematics containing Yui's data. "Found it!" Kirito stated. "Alright!" cheered Donald, Asuna and Silica. "However…" Kirito interrupted the cheers, "Finding the data was the easy part. Since Yui is no longer a full AI, I can't see any way of transferring the data into her."

"Don't ya have any ideas, Yui?" Goofy asked. Yui looked back at the group, then at Kirito, who looked to her. "Unfortunately, I don't." she finally admitted, "I have been contemplating on how to regain my data as we came here, but I hadn't found any sound solutions." The others looked upset that they didn't have an answer to Yui's problem.

Asuna was fingering her side pocket nervously, trying to also think of a way. She then felt something in her pocket. She placed her hand in and pulled out the Summoning Charm she used to summon Rapunzel before, the Lantern Charm.

"What is that?" Liz asked. "It's a charm used to summon allies from far away to our side." Asuna explained, "They have come in handy in the past when faced with tough problems. I just wish we could…" Suddenly, Asuna's face went into a shock of realization. "Asuna?" Liz questioned. "Of course…" Asuna muttered, "Why didn't we think of that?"

She approached Kirito, and said, "Kirito, I think we should think things outside the game." Kirito turned to her, seeing her show the charm in her hand. He paused for a few seconds, then his eyes mirrored Asuna's realization. He grinned as he nodded in understanding.

He turned back to the console and begun working even more onto it. "What do you plan on doing?" Agil asked. "If I can't give Yui full access to the Cardinal system directly, then I'm just gonna have to use what we learned in this dimension, and improvise." Kirito answered.

He dug into his pocket, pulling out his Summoning Charm, the Arcade Charm, and placed it on the console. With a few buttons, the console began scanning the charm, analyzing every detail of it. "It is able to replicate a charm, but it can't replicate the magic used to activate it." Kirito stated. "We can do it!" Donald declared as he and Sora stepped to Kirito's other side. Sora nodded in agreement. "Then let's all focus our magic, together." Asuna told the team.

Kirito, Asuna, Sora and Donald all focused themselves, gathering the magic energy they had inside of them. As one, they raced an open palm, focusing it into one spot on the console. Using their magic, they made their palms glow, creating a ball of energy in the center of the spot. The console started emanating blue circuitry as it focused to the same spot.

With their combined effort, a new Summoning Charm appeared right before their eyes, which had the emblem of what looked like Yui's Heart when she was a game item, in front of a flower. It floated in the air before them, then once they stopped using their magic, it landed onto the console.

Kirito reached forward and picked it up, with Yui looking at the charm anxiously. "So did it work?" Silica asked, with Pina also looking curiously at it. "I think so." Kirito answered, "I called this the 'Heart Charm', and it is suppose to summon Yui in her original form to our side." "Then let's give it a shot!" Sora decided.

Everyone gave Kirito and Yui a wide space as Kirito stood up and held the charm aloft. "_Summon!_" he chanted, and the charm shined. All at once, a portal opened up, and Yui flew through it. She became surrounded by several digital screens as she curled up into a ball. There was a bright light, and Yui suddenly appeared in her human form. She landed onto the ground, happily hugging Kirito and Asuna, then turned around, ready for action.

"Woah! That charm actually worked!" Klein gasped as the other four Players looked to Yui in amazement. Yui looked at her hands, then said happily, "My connection to the Cardinal system has been fully restored. Plus, I think I'm capable of doing more thanks to the power of that charm." "It may be a temporary form, but I'm glad to see you like this, Yui." Kirito stated as Asuna hugged her child. "Yeah, me, too!" she cheered.

"So now that you're like this, can you find out how to bring this world back home?" Sora asked Yui. "Hold on, give me a second." Yui stated, and Asuna backed off as she closed her eyes, focusing.

Finally, she said, "I'm detecting two separate anomalies in Aincrad right now. One is on the first floor, in one corner of the Town of Beginnings. The other is at floor 25, within a dungeon." "Floor 25?" Kirito questioned, looking to Asuna, "Hold on, isn't that…" "…The same floor we took on that quest that led us to this dimension." Asuna finished his statement. This was no mere coincidence.

"Incoming foes!" Sinon called out to the crew, and they turned to see a swarm of Heartless rampaging through the corridor towards them. "There's no end to them!" Liz barked anxiously. "We got this!" Asuna stated as she and Kirito stepped forward.

Yui squeezed herself in front of her parents, her face determined. "I'm going to help, too!" she declared, getting worried looks from her parents, "I said I have some added powers due to being a summoning, so I'll use them at this moment!"

"You show 'em, Yui!" Goofy cheered. "I don't know if you should encourage her…" Kirito muttered back at him. Regardless, he decided to let Yui take her chance at battling this one time to see what the Summoning Charm did for her.

Kirito and Asuna dove in, slashing a pair of Soldier Heartless out of the way. Yui came running behind, and a Neoshadow Heartless leapt forward at her. "Yui, watch out!" Asuna shouted. Yui crossed her arms above her as the Heartless slashed at her, but a digital barrier formed above her, blocking the attack. "How in the…?" Agil started to say. "I'm an immortal object." Yui stated, "Heartless can't hurt me!" "I forgot about that." Kirito sighed in relief.

The Neoshadow regained itself as Yui focused herself, and unleashed a static field around her, paralyzing the target. She then formed a ball of leftover data into her hand, and tossed it at the Heartless, sending it flying. "Nice one, Yui!" cheered Silica as Sora, Donald and Goofy cheered them on.

Meanwhile, Asuna unleashed several Thundara spells at once to take out several Heartless at once. She turned to see more Heartless charging at her, and she readied another spell. She then discovered, "Oh, no. I used to much magic at once!" "Don't worry, mama!" Yui cried out, "Here!" She waved her hand to Asuna, and a stream of data shot out, hitting Asuna and making her glow. "I restored your magic power." she informed her. "Thanks, Yui!" Asuna thanked her, and she unleashed a Blizzara spell onto one of the Heartless Kirito was fending off. He eliminated the remainder before coming to Asuna's side, seeing the remaining force of Heartless.

"We need to take care of them, quickly!" Kirito told Asuna, who nodded in agreement. "I can do that!" Yui stated, getting in front of her parents, "Activate my Limit Break!" "Okay." Asuna responded. The two waved their Keyblades to Yui, and shot beams of light at her, making her glow. She rose into the air with flames surrounding her, and she summoned a long, powerful sword that she had used once before. She arced it over her head, then brought it down in front of her, sending a blast of energy that enveloped the Heartless. Within seconds, the blast deleted the Heartless from existence.

With the coast clear, Sora led the others out to the trio. "Dude, that was incredible!" Klein stated with amazement. "You eliminated so many Heartless with one shot." Sinon pointed out, "I can see why you guys were able to hold out for so long in this dimension." "Well, Sora, Donald and Goofy were a big asset to our survival, as well." Asuna stated, turning to them, "If it hadn't been for them, we'd probably not make it this far."

"That's high praise, comin' from you guys." Agil pointed out. "Yeah, especially since most of us spent two years surviving in SAO." Klein added, "We would be a lot more helpful here, too, if we had our skills again." "I believe I can do something about that." Yui stated, "Let's head back to the GM Console again."

Once they returned, Yui began typing away at the console keyboard. Since she knew the system better than anyone else, it didn't take very long for her to find what she was looking for. "Here it is." she stated, seeing the data on the holo-screen, "This contains the data configurations for Sword Skills and Magic Skills." "That's great, but how will that help us?" Klein asked sarcastically.

Yui reached at the holo-screen, and with one scoop, she somehow gathered all of the data into a ball in her hand, surprising the others. She molded it with her hands, then showed it to the five Players. "Touch this." she told them, "Pina, you too." The five looked to one another, then Pina and the Players reached out and touched the orb. The data spread out to all of them, spiraling around their arms, then making their bodies glow as the data entered them. It took a few seconds, then their bodies stopped glowing.

Klein flexed his hands, then pulled out his katana and swished it about, suddenly making the blade glow brightly, unleashing a Sword Skill. "Awesome! I'm back to normal!" he cheered. "Same here!" Silica answered. "Looks like we all have our skills again." Agil pointed out. "Yui, you are amazing." Sora stated. Sora's praise made Yui blush.

Suddenly, her body glowed, and she became a Navigation Pixie again. "Looks like the summoning power is used up." Kirito noticed. "At least we know now where to go next." Asuna stated, "Let's head out of this dungeon to plan our next move…"

As the team left the GM Console, Kirito turned back to the holo-screen to see some more data on the screen. He looked to it, seeing it as MHCP data. Figuring it was just more info on Yui, he turned to leave. Little did he notice that the data contained more than he noticed; 'Project MHCP #2. Results: Program Stolen'. What they didn't realize was how much of an impact this missing notice would be for them in the future.

* * *

Outside the Black Iron Palace, the heroes gathered together to discuss their next plan of action. "So now we have our Skills again, and we now know where we might find the solution to bringing our world back home again." Klein stated, "Seems like we're on a roll! We'll be done with this in no time!" "Not exactly, Klein." Sinon retorted, "Remember what Yui said; there are TWO anomalies to look for, one on this floor, and one on the 25th floor."

"I'm pretty sure the problem is on the 25th floor." Kirito stated, "However, just to be safe, let's split up into two groups to investigate each anomaly." He looked to Sora, Donald and Goofy as he pointed out, "Since you guys don't know the Town of Beginnings as well, and considering its' size, I'll let you guys handle the upper floor. I'll have Agil, Silica, Pina and Sinon go with you." "Sure, that sounds fair." Sora agreed.

"That leaves Kirito, Klein, Liz, Yui and I to investigate what is happening on this floor." Asuna understood the plan. "If either one of us discovers something, we'll contact one another." Kirito added. "How will we do that?" Liz asked, "We can't just message them. We can't even pull up our menus." "Oh, right." Kirito realized, "Well…we'll just have to figure it out when we get there." "Your usual plan, right?" Asuna asked with an amused expression. "That's so like you, Kirito." Sinon sighed.

"No worries." Sora stated, raising a fist to Kirito, "We'll work it out, somehow." Kirito smirked at Sora, and bumped his fist. "Let's do it!" Donald squawked. "Right!" Goofy agreed. "Take care of yourself." Kirito stated as his and Asuna's party parted ways with Sora's team. With that, Sora and the rest of the team climbed aboard the Warp Gate, and departed for the 25th floor.

* * *

**Hollow Bastion**

Leafa and Recon were rushing over to Ansem's computer lab, hoping to find a way to bring Aincrad back home again. They had just reached the bailey when a black portal opened in front of them. The two immediately pulled out their weapons in response. Axel stepped out, seeing the two in front of him.

"Axel!" Leafa realized, lowering her fighter's stance. "I see you guys are in a big rush." Axel noticed, "Guess you figured out your online world is in big trouble. What was it's name? Aincrad? Hate to break it to ya, but you won't be able to find anything where you're going."

"Are you trying to mock us?!" Leafa demanded in a harsh tone, "If you are, then you have another thing coming!" "Hey, ease up a little bit!" Axel raised his hands in defense, "I actually came here with some info. I know how to bring your world back home." Leafa and Recon were surprised at this bit of info.

"How do you know this?" Recon asked, "You said you were no longer part of the Organization." "True, but I know my way around the stronghold." Axel corrected him, "I found the computer room, and how Gouxus even brought it here. It's all thanks to a dark orb of energy he planted within that world. It's also attracting the Heartless there as well, so you better hurry up and destroy it."

"Where is this dark orb?" Leafa asked. "Hell if I know." Axel replied, "But if I recall, the information did say something about being in a place where Kirito and Asuna left from." "The dungeon on floor 25!" Recon recalled. Leafa looked to Axel, wondering if his info was to be trusted.

Finally, Leafa said, "Okay, we're counting on your information. But don't get the wrong idea. I'm still not 100% sure you can be trusted." "Suit yourself." Axel replied, opening up a Corridor of Darkness, "I'll just drop you off over there so you can get the job done." Leafa and Recon watched as Axel walked into the portal. They looked to one another, then followed Axel into the portal as well.

* * *

**Floor 25: Sora's Team**

Agil slashed a Lancer Soldier in half with his axe, destroying it. Silica and Goofy were working together using their dagger and shield techniques, while Pina healed them from a distance and Donald unleashed magic alongside the dragon. Sora, in his Limit Form, unleashed a Strike Raid combo that knocked several Heartless away from the straggling Players in the field.

"Get moving!" Sora called out to the Players. They understood and took off towards the town. A Neoshadow Heartless appeared to attacked them, but were shot down by Sinon and her bow. Once the Players were gone, the team got rid of the last bit of Heartless, and grouped together again.

"That's one more group of Players saved by the Heartless." Silica stated as Pina landed on her shoulder. "With you guys having yours skills with you, it's making fighting Heartless a lot easier." Sora stated, "You are all pretty strong." "Right back at you." Agil agreed, raising a fist to Sora, who reacted by bumping his fist with him  
"Sora, there's something I was wondering." Sinon started. "What is it?" Sora asked. "How did Kirito and Asuna react when they were with you guys in other worlds?" Sinon questioned. Agil and Silica also looked to Sora, Donald and Goofy as they pondered about it.

"I think they sure were determined to getting back home again, at first." Goofy started, "Those guy were really worried about leavin' ya." "Yeah, but they also promised to help us fight against the Heartless and the Organization afterwards." Sora retorted, "Since they realized that the Organization could travel to your world, they didn't want you guys getting hurt by them."

"So Kirito, Asuna and Yui have continued in this world for our sake." Silica stated. "And they just accepted this, even though it's reality?" Sinon asked. "You bet!" Donald replied, "We've been helping them out all the way." "You guys did?" Silica asked, amazed. "Well, they were quick learners, and they did help us out several times." Sora added, looking at this world, "But considering what kind of place this is, I can understand where they got so strong."

"It's just like old times for Kirito and them, only he's with a lot of guys now." Agil stated amusingly. "Yeah. He's usually setting his team up with mainly girls." Sinon recalled, "He is pretty weird in that way."

"How is that weird?" Sora asked in a confused manner, "You are his friends, right? So what difference does it make if there are more girls?" Donald and Goofy looked at Sora, not sure how to give an answer. "You really are dense…" Sinon muttered, narrowing her eyes at him.

"But Sora is fun to be around." Silica answered, "Maybe that's what drew Kirito, Asuna and Yui to him." "Who knows?" Agil replied, "But right now, we should keep going if we're to get everyone in Aincrad back to safety." "Right!" Sora understood, "Lead the way."

* * *

**Floor 1: Kirito's Team**

Several Heartless came charging along the narrow street, but Asuna and Kirito unleashed a double Thundara that paralyzed them in their place. Klein and Liz used this to their advantage and started striking with their katana and mace, respectively, taking them out alongside Kirito and Asuna.

"There. That should be the last of the Heartless in this area…" Asuna stated. "For now." Kirito retorted, "But who knows how many more will appear in their place. Hey, Yui. Do you know how far away our destination is?" "At our current pace, we should be there in a few minutes." the little pixie answered. "Then let's keep moving and take out more Heartless as we go." Kirito decided, and they continued onward.

"You guys really have gotten use to fighting off these things." Klein pointed out as they walked. "It's just gotten to that point where it is natural for us to fight them." Asuna replied, "It's not fun, but it's something we have to do."

"Yeah, and I bet all those times in SAO and ALO really helped you up to this point." Liz assumed. "Well, it did help us in the combat area." Kirito agreed, "But as for everything else, I think you should thank Sora, Donald and Goofy for that."

"Yeah, I can see how strong and awesome of those guys are." Klein stated, holding his sheathed katana behind his neck, "Plus, that Sora guy has something else. I don't really know what it is, but he seems to make you feel like anything is possible." "Despite on how childish they are, Sora and his friends do lighten the mood." Liz stated in an amused manner.

"That's just how Sora is." Asuna chuckled, "From the moment he met us, he not only believed in our story on how we got to this dimension, but he insisted on helping us get back home."

"Those guys taught us how to adapt to the worlds, and use the powers of the Keyblade, magic, and all other stuff." Kirito added, "Plus, when it gets down to it, they are really serious in a fight. They might just as well have been in the front lines in SAO."

"If you ask me, meeting Sora, Donald, Goofy, and everyone else has helped our emotional state greatly." Yui pointed out, "We were worried, at first. But they made things a whole lot better. I believed we might have changed, as well."

"You're right about that." Liz stated, "You guys are a little different. It's not much, but it has made you guys better." "But that doesn't mean you should leave us behind like you did before." Klein stated, "Next time, bring your buddies along for the ride when you get sent to a different dimension."

"It's not like we knew that was gonna happen." Kirito stated firmly, "Still, I'd rather not let you guys get into danger. This much is already too much for me." Everyone looked to Kirito as they continued, seeing the seriousness in his expression. He was determined to get Aincrad home, and make sure the Players were safe.

When they reached a small open area, they saw a structure before them, and it startled Kirito. "I've never seen this building before." Liz stated. "Neither have I." Asuna agreed. "That's because this building wasn't here before." Kirito answered, "I have seen this building; back during the Beta Testing of SAO. It's the Room of Resurrection. It was where the beta testers were revived at when they were defeated. However, it was removed when SAO went live, turning it into the death game we remembered."

"I don't get it." Klein stated in a confused manner, "What's this building doing here after so long? Did it return in New Alfheim, and we just missed it?" "It's possible." Kirito answered, "Although, it's not in the same place as it was before. Yui, you sure this is where the anomaly was at?" "Yes." Yui answered, "It's coming from inside this building."

"We should head in cautiously." Asuna told the group, "We don't know what we might find in there." The team nodded in agreement, and with Kirito in the lead, they walked into the building, into the Room of Resurrection.

* * *

**Sora's Team: Floor 25 Dungeon**  
Along a turning point in the dungeon, Sinon peaked around the corner to see if it was safe. "There are definitely some activity on the path ahead." she told the crew behind her. Sora peered around her. Sure enough, he saw an abundant amount of Heartless along the dark caves ahead. However, at the end of the area, he could see a large door with the symbol of the Heartless.

"Looks to me like the Heartless are drawn to this place." Goofy told Agil, Silica and Donald. "Yeah. I mean, we're encountering more of those creatures as we get closer to this area." Agil pointed out. "Could that mean that we found the source of the problem?" Silica asked. "We won't know until we enter through the door ahead." Sora stated, "Let's take out the Heartless!"

The team charged in with their weapons at hand, unleashing a surprise attack onto the Heartless. It was really fortunate that Silica, Sinon and Agil were able to perform Sword Skills again, since it was beneficial to taking out the enemies quickly. Combining them with Sora, Donald and Goofy's otherworldly skills, and they were able to take out the enemies along the path in a couple minutes.

When they arrived at the door, Goofy and Agil attempted to push open the door, but it wasn't budging. "Looks like it's locked." Agil told the team. "But then, how are we suppose to get inside?" Silica asked in a worried manner, with Pina cooing in a worried tone.

"Look!" cried Sinon, pointing at the symbol above. They could vaguely see a keyhole that seem to bar the door shut. "We need a key to open this door." Silica noticed. "I heard there had been one needed for this dungeon." Agil recalled, "Problem is; no one's found it, so it's impossible to get to." "You mean, we can't get inside?" Silica questioned.

"That's not gonna be a problem." Donald told the trio, who looked to him. "Yeah. So long as Sora uses the Keyblade, we should get through this, no problem." Goofy added.

"I hate to tell you this, but even you can't bust down a door like this with that weapon." Sinon stated to Sora. "I'm not gonna bust it down." Sora retorted, "I'm just gonna do this…" Sora waved his Keyblade to the keyhole above him. A beam of light shot out of the tip of his blade, connecting with the hole. Everyone could hear the sound of the door unlocking. Surprised, Agil walked up and attempted to push the door open again. This time, the door swung into the room, accessing the area ahead for the heroes.

"Amazing!" Silica gasped, as Pina expressed her own shock. "If we had a weapon like that in the game, people would think we were cheating…" Sinon muttered, amusingly. "That's just how the Keyblade works." Goofy pointed out. "Well, we got a way in, so lets go." Agil stated. Sora led the team into the dungeon, ready for anything.

When they entered within, they soon discovered what might've been the cause of the trouble. Floating in the center of the large room stood a dark purple orb, as big as Donald, swirling with energy within, which also shot out up into the ceiling above and the ground below. There was also a ring surrounding it, and on it was the Nobody's emblem, connecting around it like a chain.

"What is that thing?" Sinon asked. "It's gotta be what causin' this world to stay here." Goofy guessed. "Of course it has to be!" Donald squawked in agreement. "Right, then." Sora stated, walking forward, his Keyblade at the ready. "W-Wait up!" Silica called out as she and Pina raced up to his side.

Just then, something was falling from the sky, and Agil noticed it was gonna fall onto the three ahead. "Heads up!" he shouted to them. Sora, Silica and Pina all immediately looked up, and Sora grabbed Silica and pulled her away from the landing point as whatever fell crashed to the ground. They fell onto the floor with Pina flying above Sora as he cushioned Silica's fall by wrapping his arms around her body.

The young Cait Sith had her eyes closed as the dust cloud formed from the impact, then she opened them, and saw Sora embracing her. She blushed and pushed him away in a flustered manner. "Oh, sorry." Sora apologized, seeing Silica's face, though not sure what he did wrong. "I-It's okay." Silica replied, still embarrassed, "You were just trying to save me."

They stood up as the team gathered together, and they stared at the objects that fell from above; a collection of large armor pieces, which were red, yellow, blue, black, and white in color. In Sora, Donald and Goofy's eyes, the armor pieces were very familiar. "Is that…armor?" Sinon questioned the obvious. "It's too big to equip to any Player." Agil pointed out. "That's not any ordinary armor." Sora warned them.

He was right. All of a sudden, the armor started to shake, and it rose into the air, the helmet flying the highest. The gauntlets, boots and armor floated into place, as the helmet landed on top, forming the familiar Heartless Sora's team knew too well. "What is that?!" Sinon gasped, readying her bow. "The Guard Armor!" Sora answered, taking his stance as he readied to fight the Heartless. A barrier surrounded the pillar of energy the dark orb in the middle of the room. The rest of the team got into combat position, ready to go.

The Guard Armor stomped towards them as the team split to either side of it; Donald, Agil and Goofy heading to left, while Sora, Silica and Pina went to the right. Sinon stood her ground as she fired an arrow at the helmet, causing an explosion of energy, making it stop in its' place.

Sora and Silica joined together to unleash a cross-slash from their blades, while Agil slashed with his axe on the other side. The Heartless retaliated by spinning its' claws about, causing Sora, Silica and Agil to back up, while Goofy protected Agil and Donald with his shield. Donald unleashed his Thunder spell, while Pina unleashed a bubble-breath attack. The combined attack caused the Guard Armor to falter, and its' armor pieces fell to the floor. "Get 'em!" Sora declared, and everyone unleashed their series of attacks onto it.

The Guard Armor recovered itself, making its' armor pieces float up again. The heroes backed off, waiting for it to attack again. However, Sora had a sense of deja vu. _Why does this seem familiar?_ he thought to himself, then as the Heartless turned to see everyone around it, Sora realized something. This sensation was similar to when it was about to… "It's gonna transform." he muttered, causing Silica to look at him.

He was right. All of a sudden, the Heartless thrusted its' claw-like gauntlets into the ground, then the whole body flipped itself upside down, excluding the head. "What's it doin' now?" Agil asked. "It's changing…" Donald realized, "We're in trouble!" The toe and the heel of the boots, now in the arms position, folded inwards, becoming pincer-like. The gauntlets became clawed feet, and started floating in the air. The visor of the helmet folded down, revealing the yellow eyes within. The body floated around a little more loosely.

"Sora, what's happening?!" Silica asked in a worried manner, with Pina also worried. "It transformed into it's alternate form." Sora answered, "It is more dangerous than before. The Opposite Armor!" Everyone prepared themselves, realizing that this was not gonna be as easy as it was before.

Due to it floating in midair, the Opposite Armor moved in to Sora, Silica and Pina's position quickly, pulling back its' arms, then thrusting them forward. Sora got in front of Silica and blocked the attack with his Keyblade. The attack sent him flying, carrying Silica with him as they crashed into the wall. "Sora!" cried Goofy. "Silica!" Sinon shouted as Pina cried out to its' master.

Donald and Agil charged in, unleashed magic and a hammer slash, respectively. The attack struck from behind, damaging it. The Heartless turned around, then unleashed a kick flip with its' clawed feet, striking each character with each foot, sending them flying. Goofy came rushing in with his shield up, but the Heartless did a flying tackle that caused Goofy to tumble onto his back.

Sinon kept up the attack, unleashing arrow after arrow, striking each part of the Opposite Armor randomly. Sora and Silica managed to recover, with some assistance from Pina's healing breath. Sora noticed Sinon's attack, then he shouted out, "Guys, don't strike randomly! Focus on one of its' arms and legs! They can be taken out individually!" "Why didn't you tell us that BEFORE?!" demanded Sinon, noticing the arms of the Heartless leap out at her, and she jumped back.

Goofy recovered himself and he leapt forward, unleashing his tornado spin of an attack, striking one of the clawed legs. Sora, Silica and Pina joined in, with Sora unleashing a Blizzara spell at one of its' arms, and Pina unleashing a breath attack simultaneously. Silica used the attacks as cover in order to get momentum without trouble, and she unleashed a Rapid Bite Dagger Skill, striking with an upper slash with her dagger. She backed off as the Opposite Armor recovered itself, and it sent its' clawed feet together into a rotating strike. Silica backed off far enough to avoid the attack.

Agil and Donald joined in with Goofy as they begun hitting the legs, making sure to avoid getting hit by the kick flips and rotating strikes. Donald charged in with a Fire spell as Agil unleashed a Lumber Jack Axe Skill, taking out . "Right! That's one down!" Donald cheered as Agil and Goofy backed off, still ready to go on.

The Opposite Armor then spun its' arms like spinning blades, sending them both at Sora, Silica and Pina. Fortunately, Sinon used her sniping skills to parry one of the attacks, while Pina's breath attack made sure to repel the other. Sora and Silica readied themselves, then felt an energy coming from between them. "What's this?" Silica asked. "It feels like a Limit Break is coming on." Sora realized, "Let's use it to take it out!" Silica understood, and the two focused as Pina came close to them, unleashing their Limit Break, 'Feathered-Dragon Spirit'.

Silica magically produced a special fruit, tossing it high to Pina, who swallowed it whole. Pina suddenly glowed brightly, shining down on Sora and Silica, empowering them. They charged in, and begun to unleash a series of attacks, composed of both of them unleashing a V-shaped slash of energy with their blades, and bursts of water streams from the tips of their blades and Pina in a triangle formation. The continuously did this, even after taking out one of its' arms.

Finally, when at their limit, Pina issued the order to Pina to attack, and she flew high above the Heartless, raining down large bubbles all around it. Sora and Silica then magically leapt all about the bubbles, setting each of them off as they landed on each, coming back together again with Pina when all bubbles were gone. The attack not only took out the first arm, but the second one, as well.

"Damn! Who knew that was gonna happen?!" Agil gasped as Donald and Goofy cheered for the damage done to the Heartless. "So Sora even managed to pull off a Limit Break with Silica?" Sinon asked, incredulous at the sight she saw.

Silica looked up a Pina, amazed and gleeful. "That was amazing!" she gasped, with Pina agreeing with a chirp. "Told you we could do it!" Sora told Silica, "Now, let's get back into the battle!"

Donald, Goofy, Agil and Sinon wanted to end the final leg themselves, so they all charged in, with Goofy in front of Agil as he raised his axe, and Donald unleashed his Thunder spell onto it, electrifying the blade. The Heartless noticed them and swung its' leg at Agil, only to be blocked by Goofy.

As the leg ricochet back to the Heartless, Agil jumped up, hopping off of Goofy's shield for a better angle. Sinon charged up her bow, and unleashed an ice-element infused arrow at the leg, freezing it. With one swing of his axe, Agil slashed the ice and the leg with it, destroying it.

"That's all its' appendages down!" Sora cheered, "Now for the body!" Everyone charged in as the Opposite Armor turned to Sora's direction, flipping its' hollow body towards him. Sora knew what was coming, and he shouted, "_Master!_" Sora entered his Master Form, and leapt forward at the Heartless, who began to charge up an energy shot at him. It fired just as Sora came in close, but Sora used his Reflera spell just in time. The energy shot got absorbed into the barrier of magic, then Sora retaliated with a burst of light that damaged and stunned the Heartless.

"Hit it hard, you guys!" Sora shouted. "Right!" Everyone responded, and they all unleashed a swarm of attacks; Silica's Fad Edge Dagger Skill, Pina's breath attack, Agil's Whirlwind Axe Skill, Sinon's Stardust Exa Bow Skill, Donald's Fire spell, and Goofy's Turbo attack.

The combination of attacks was immense, and it caused an explosion of smoke as a result. The Opposite Armor appeared out of the smoke, roaring in fury, but weakened. Sora passed by Silica and Pina, charging at the Heartless. With both Keyblades at hand, he readied himself, and unleashed a large X-slash across the chest of the Heartless.

Sora flipped over the helmet of the Opposite Armor as it crashed to the ground, landing right next to Agil, Donald and Goofy. Everyone watched as the Heartless started to disappear in a dark light, and a crystalized heart rose into the sky, disappearing towards wherever the Organization stronghold was. The barrier surrounding the orb vanished. The battle was won on their side.

"Phew…" sighed Silica, falling on her butt, "That was really exhausting." "You okay, Silica?" Sinon asked, walking up to her. Silica nodded in response as Pina flew onto her shoulder.

Sora reverted out of his Master Form as he, Agil, Donald and Goofy gathered together. He then lead everyone's gaze to the orb in the middle of the room. "So…what do we do with that?" Sinon asked. "We could just destroy it." Sora suggested. "Yeah, but who knows what might happen if we do that." Sinon warned him.

"Easy. It'll bring Aincrad back to its' rightful place." said a familiar voice from the door. Everyone turned to see none other than Leafa and Recon there, entering in. "Leafa!" Silica cried out. "Hey, Recon." Sora greeted. Silica raced over to hug Leafa as the other walked over to them as well.

"So you found out a way to bring us back home?" Agil asked. "Yeah, but we'll need to wait for Kirito and Asuna." Recon answered, "They're gonna need to know about this…"

* * *

**Kirito's Team: Floor 1, Room of Resurrection**

Kirito opened the doors, leading the team in. They examined the area as they entered, readying their weapons should they need to fight. The interior was large, rectangular, long-ways from the entrance. It was dark, with the only lights coming from a few glass windows, flames from the tall candelabras along the wall, and the glowing pads in the tube-like grooves.

"Is this the Room of Resurrection from the Closed Beta Tests?" Klein asked Kirito. "Yeah." he answered, "This is exactly how I remember it. Those pads on the sides of the room were where Players that were defeated were revived at."

"From what I heard, when SAO went live, this place was replaced with the Monument of Life." Liz recalled. "Yeah, and when Aincrad came to ALO, it was replaced again to the Monument of Swordsmen." Asuna added, "So how is this place still here after all that?"

"Hey, Yui. Do you have any clues?" Kirito asked, ushering Yui out of his pocket. "I don't know…" Yui answered, "I only vaguely remember this place during the Beta Testing, when I was being tested on my MHCP settings, along with all the other programs."

There was a moment of silence between all of them, then Kirito said, "Well, we won't know why this is here, nor what the anomaly Yui sensed by standing around. Let's investigate this place." "Right!" the others responded, and they split into teams; Liz and Asuna on one team, and Klein, Kirito and Yui on the other.

About a minute later, as Kirito was about to make it to the other side of the room, something appeared from the shadows. It was a bunch of Shadow and Neoshadow Heartless. "Crap!" Kirito gasped, ready to fight. "They're coming here, too!" Klein shouted, indicating the Heartless appearing right by him.

"Kirito! Klein!" Asuna shouted, leading Liz to the boys. Before they got close, however, a bunch of Dusk Nobodies appeared, blocking their path. "What the heck?!" Liz gasped. "Nobodies!" Asuna noticed, ready to fight, "We have to clear them out, Liz!" "You got it!" Liz responded, readying her mace.

The two sides started to engage in a full on battle between the heroes, the Heartless and the Nobodies. Asuna and Liz were unleashing all they could in order to reach the boys, but the Dusks were tricky, and they got help from above with Archer Guardian Nobodies. Meanwhile, Kirito and Klein were doing all they could to take out the Heartless about them, who seem to be more interested in what was behind them. It didn't make sense, since there was nothing behind them but the back of the room.

"These things are really annoying!" Liz moaned, whipping her mace at an oncoming Dusk, only for it to swerve around it, "Asuna, how are you hitting them so easily?" "Kirito and I have to deal with these things more or less on a daily basis." she responded, "Regardless, let's work together and take them out so we can get to the guys!" "You don't have to tell me twice!" Liz responded, readying to aid Asuna in the battle. The two began to focus as one, subconsciously activating their Limit Break, 'Lightning Blacksmith'.

Asuna called to Liz as she raised her Keyblade high, making a circle of light appear, and out came the legendary hammer, Mjölnir. It flew out to Liz, who placed her weapon away, and caught the hammer. The weight of the weapon made her spin about once, sending sparks of electricity everywhere. She gained a good grip on it as she and Asuna charged in. The two begun unleashing a series of attacks, from Asuna unleashing a lightning-induced arching thrust, to Liz's wide-ranged hammer spin. Both girls were taking down the Nobodies like crazy.

With their final attack, Asuna tossed Liz into the air as she readied the godly hammer. She raised it above her head, roaring as she flew down. With one swing, she slammed the head of the Mjölnir into the ground, causing a high and wide electrical shockwave to be unleashed, making all remaining Nobodies disappear. The Mjölnir also disappeared as Liz leapt back to Asuna's side, rubbing the underside of her nose as she grinned, with Asuna looking at her with an embarrassed grin.

"How did we just do that?!" Liz demanded. "That's just how the Limit Break works." Asuna responded, "Don't ask me how that happened, either."

Klein was speechless at the display he saw from the girls. "Dude, that was awesome!" he said, incredulously, then to Kirito, "Can't we do something like that?!" "Maybe." Kirito answered, "Let's see if that cuts down the Heartless." Klein smirked as he readied his katana, focusing all he had to unleashing a cool move with Kirito like the girls did. Kirito focused himself with Klein, and the two unleashed their Limit Break, 'Flaming Samurai'.

Kirito and Klein became surrounded by a ring of flames, but they slashed through both sides of it, igniting the blades of their swords. "_This is the samurai's code of honor!_" Klein declared, leaping in front of Kirito as they charged in. The two went back and forth with two of the Katana Skill techniques; Kirito unleashing 'Kyūki', jumping up and unleashing five downward slashes, followed by an upper one, and Klein unleashing 'Zangetsu', sending a crescent-shaped, flaming shockwave that went a good distance.

In the final attack, Klein got in front of Kirito, grinning as he readied his blade. With lightning-fast speed, he past by the group of Heartless in front of them, unleashing a slash. He sheathed his blade as, for a second, it looked like he slashed even the fabric of their existence. Then the Heartless exploded into flames, destroyed. "_Ladies, feel the heat!_" Klein finished, giving a thumbs up and making a sparkle come from his teeth, while Kirito rubbed his hair, bemused by Klein's attempt to show off.

Liz looked at Klein with a 'are you kidding me?' kind of look, while Asuna ignored Klein, and raced onward. "Kirito, there are more Heartless behind you!" she warned him. Kirito turned to see Heartless that have avoided the attack race towards the back of the room. "Oh, no you don't!" Kirito growled, racing alongside Asuna as they readied to catch up with them.

Before they got even close to the Heartless, a hidden door on the floor ahead mechanically slid open. The pair of heroes had barely saw it before there was a white flash of energy, blinding everyone. This was followed by a sound of a sword slash, which destroyed all the Heartless at once.

When the light died down, the heroes opened their eyes, and were shocked beyond belief as to the character that had just saved their life. There was no doubt who he was. The heavy-looking red and white-trimmed armor. The white cape on his back. The cross-like shield, and the longsword. And the face…Kirito, Asuna and Klein could never forget that face.

"Hello, Kirito." the man greeted, "Hello to you, too, Asuna." "C-Commander Heathcliff…" Asuna gasped. "Akihiko…Kayaba…" Kirito followed, addressing the IRL persona of the man before them.

"Dude, no way!" Klein gasped, "How is this guy here?" "I recognize this guy." Liz noticed, "He's the head of the Knights of the Blood Oath, the same guild Asuna was in during SAO."

"How in the world are you here?" Kirito asked, hiding his shock behind a serious demeanor, "Last time we met, you disappeared into the internet after giving me the Seed."

"Yes, that did happen." Heathcliff answered, "However, that was part of my plan. You see, I expected most things that had happened so far to take place. I knew your attachment to Aincrad, my floating castle, and would revive it once more. When it came into being, I used the fragments I kept of the original SAO server to create the Room of Resurrection in this secluded area."

"You knew we were going to revive Aincrad again?" Kirito questioned. "It's all about understanding your mindsets." Heathcliff answered, "You, like so many other Players from 'Sword Art Online', had attached to this world, since you've lived here for two years of your lives. You want to relive the world again, and climb your way to the top in a safer, more friendlier way. Even though this world is now made for fun, as you wanted, Aincrad is still my creation, and re-establishing myself again to the Cardinal System in this world was an easy effort."

He stepped closer to Kirito and Asuna as he continued, "Of course, I would have never expected my own world to actually become IRL, let alone in a different dimension. I guess these drastic events add to the fun of VRMMOs, wouldn't you say?"

Kirito gritted his teeth, furious at these words. "Your 'world' is being attacked by the Heartless, no thanks to Sugou Nobuyuki's Nobody." he growled, "As we speak, many Players are turning into Heartless or worse. Aincrad is trapped in this dimension, with the Players unable to escape or fend for themselves properly, and you consider all of this amusing?!"

"You're right, the situation doesn't bode well for the Players in this world." Heathcliff responded, "This is not how I intended my world to be like, and it's all because of my colleague's jealousy to my work, not to mention his hatred to you, Kirito."

"If you understand all that, then why haven't you taken action?" Asuna demanded, "You did create Aincrad, so you should have a connection to the Cardinal system. You can at least do something to protect the Players."

"In its' current condition, I am unable to do anything with Cardinal to that extent." Heathcliff retorted, "However, you have arrived, and have already taken action. You've sent your friends to where that other anomaly is at." Kirito and Asuna were surprised. How did he know that they sent Sora and the others to investigate that area?

"If you think they are able to deal with the problem, then there is no point to interfere with the situation." Heathcliff finished, "Despite this, that is not the reason I returned and revealed myself to you."

"Then why did you show yourself?" Asuna asked sternly. "Simple; I ask for a rematch." Heathcliff answered, locking eyes with Kirito, "You bested me, long ago, by overcoming the system, and you cleared SAO. However, it was something that I allowed to happen."

"What do you mean, you 'allowed' it?" Kirito questioned, "Are you saying you threw the duel?" "Hardly." Heathcliff answered, "You showed me something that I have never saw before that day; an experience like no other from a VRMMO. You showed me how the will you carry can overcome the system. Now, I wish to see it again; your unmistakably powerful will, channeled through your blade."

_(Cue SAO OST 'Confront Battle')_

The crimson knight readied his sword and shield, ready to fight. Kirito readied his Keyblade, hoping to finish the battle. Just as he was repaired, Asuna's Oathkeeper appeared right next to him, held by the said swordwoman. Kirito looked to her, surprised. "Asuna?" he questioned.

"I won't let you fight this battle alone." she assured him, "We'll fight Kayaba, together, just like how we have always fought throughout this journey." Asuna glared at Heathcliff as she finished, "Is that alright with you, Commander?" Heathcliff smiled at this request. "Very well, then." Kirito looked surprise that he would allow it.

"Don't leave us out of it!" Klein called out as he and Liz came rushing to their side. "No, you guys." Kirito stopped them, then turning to Asuna, "This is OUR fight." Asuna nodded in response to this statement.

Kirito then pulled at his coat pocket, adding, "Yui, you should fall back to Klein and Liz. I don't want you getting hurt, here." Yui popped out of Kirito's pocket, answering, "Okay, but be careful." Heathcliff watched the form Mental Health Counceling Program fly to the others as Kirito and Asuna prepared themselves. Their battle against the creator of SAO was about to begin.

_(Cue SAO OST 'Luminous Sword')_

Kirito leapt into the battle first, shouting, "_Limit!_" Kirito entered into his Limit Form, readying his Keyblades at the ready. He begun slashing with his blades like crazy at Heathcliff, who put his defense up, blocking all of Kirito's slashes as best as he could. He managed to place a slash across Heathcliff's face, surprising him.

"Now!" Kirito roared, and his Keyblades glowed brightly. Heathcliff immediately recognized the signal and was prepared. Kirito began to unleash the 'Starburst Stream' Dual-Wielding Skill, hoping to believe that his technique was able to overcome him. Unfortunately, Heathcliff's knowledge of the technique was so well versed, he easily blocked all sixteen slashes with his shield.

"Did you really think I lost my touch with knowing the Dual-Wielding Skills?" Heathcliff asked amusingly, "Surely, you would know better." Heathcliff shoved Kirito away from him, charging up his blade with a red aura.

As Kirito flew backwards, he saw Asuna get in between him and Heathcliff, a serious expression crossing her face. Asuna…no! Kirito thought, recalling the last time she got in between them. As Heathcliff brought down his blade, Asuna unleashed her Reflera spell, which not only blocked the attack, but sent the recoil damage in a blast of light that sent Heathcliff backwards. He skidded to a halt, amazed at the magic.

Kirito and Asuna skidded to a halt as well, with Kirito relieved by Asuna's safety. "Kirito, use another Drive Form than that." Asuna ordered, "He knows all the Sword Skills you can use, since he created them. Let's use everything we gained from this dimension, and throw it all at him." Kirito nodded in response, reverting out of his Limit Form. It was just too nostalgic of a moment, that he felt he wanted to relive the experience. Now was not the time for such things. They needed to defeat Heathcliff.

"I'll go in close if you back me up." Kirito told Asuna. "Your might, with my magic." Asuna understood, "Gotcha. _Wisdom_!" "_Valor_!" Kirito and Asuna both entered their respective Drive Forms, Kirito wielding two Keyblades once again, but readying a different style of combat. Asuna floated off the ground, poised and ready. "Now this is an interesting twist." Heathcliff stated, "Let's see what these new powers of yours can do…"

Asuna raised her Keyblade and unleashed a barrage of magic bullets. Heathcliff placed up his shield, blocking the attack. Kirito used the moment to get in close, moving about Asuna's magic bullets. He leapt upwards, his jumping enhanced by the form. Heathcliff saw Kirito in the air, and saw him fall towards him. He raised his blade to block Kirito's attack, but the power of the attack nearly sent him to his knees.

As Kirito ricocheted off of Heathcliff's sword, Asuna cast a pair of Thundara spells onto the Commander, shocking him heavily. She then started skating about the area with her form, firing a series of magic bullets from her Keyblade. Kirito came from the opposite end, backslashing Heathcliff, putting him in a defenseless state to be hit by Asuna's attack, which caused sparkling energy flying all about him. When the attack was over, Heathcliff slashed at Kirito, who leapt over him to avoid the attack, coming to Asuna's side.

"It would seem you've put me in the yellow." Heathcliff stated, recovering himself from the attack, "You did it much faster than I anticipated." "You're not an immortal object here." Kirito stated, "The system can't save you, now."

"You're quite right." Heathcliff agreed, preparing to continue, "But there are other ways the system can aid me…" He pulled his sword back to the side, making it glow a bright yellow. Then with one swipe, he sent a crescent-shaped energy wave from his blade to the two. Kirito and Asuna were surprised by this new technique. They leapt to either side, barely avoiding the attack as it soared straight through where they stood. The attack left a gash along the wall behind them.

"That's a new one!" Kirito gasped, seeing the results of the damage done by the attack. "I've never seen the Commander use an attack like that before." Asuna pointed out, "Is that part of the Divine Blade Skill?" "As a matter of fact." Heathcliff answered, drawing their attention, "I have saved this technique when I played the role of the final boss. Now, it is time to get serious."

Heathcliff charged forward, as Kirito and Asuna dashed into battle as well. Asuna unleashed her Blizzara spell, which Heathcliff parried with his sword. Kirito attempted to strike him, but Heathcliff lunged his shield forward, striking him in the stomach and knocking the wind out of him.

Kirito fell back as Asuna started circling Heathcliff, unleashing Thundara one after another. Heathcliff raised his shield, enduring the attacks as they came raining down. He then lunged forward with his blade, much faster than before. Asuna barely blocked the attack with her Keyblade, but was sent flying back from the attack.

Kirito got to his feet again, seeing Asuna fall back, then glaring at Heathcliff. _His reactions have improved greatly._ he thought to himself, _It's possible that this is part of the Divine Blade skill. Then again, this could be Heathcliff, going all out on us. Either way, I can't lose to him!_

Kirito and Asuna engaged Heathcliff with everything they had. Heathcliff's improved attack speed and new technique were strong, not to mention that he already was powerful with his Divine Blade Skill. He would often put himself on the defense in order to charge up his Sword Skill, whether it would be his close-ranged slash, or his long-ranged sword beam. It barely gave the two heroes any time to go in with striking him down.

"Man, this is close!" Klein stated, amazed at the battle before them. "This can go either way." Liz noticed, "I can't tell who's got the upper hand!" "I know mama and papa can win!" Yui stated determinately, "Because they have something that he doesn't have." "What's that?" Liz asked, both she and Klein looking at her. "You'll see." Yui answered.

After a few minutes of combat, Kirito and Asuna stood aways from Heathcliff, out of their Drive Forms, panting from exhaustion. Heathcliff didn't show it, but he, too, was wearing down. Regardless, he smiled at the two fighters before him.

"I'm impressed." he told them, "You're new powers are very strong, and you have certainly improved since the last time we have fought." He raised his sword above his head, adding, "But it won't be enough to stop me entirely. You'll see through my strongest attack." Kirito and Asuna heard these words, and gripped their blades, ready for whatever was gonna come.

Heathcliff's blade shined a bright red color, and it seem to draw energy from all around it. Whatever was coming, the two knew it was gonna be powerful. With one downward slash, Heathcliff sent a massive wave of energy towards the two combatant, who were shocked by the power of the attack. They managed to dodge to either side to avoid the full impact, but the aftershocks were so powerful, they were sent flying into the wall behind them. The blast of energy caused the wall to give way, and even cause the ceiling above to collapse. The rubble fell on top of them, and there was a massive dust cloud in its' wake, covering the view of the heroes. "Kirito!" Klein shouted. "Asuna!" Liz called out at the same time. Yui gasped in shock of what happened to her parents.

When the dust cloud died down, Kirito and Asuna were underneath some of the rubble, unable to move from injuries. Kirito squinted through one eye as he looked up at Heathcliff, terrified by how powerful that attack was. Asuna was just as terrified at Kirito.

"There's no way…a move like that is legit in SAO." Klein muttered in complete shock. "I wouldn't be a final boss if I hadn't had some sort of powerful technique to unleash." Heathcliff responded, hearing Klein's statement, then to Kirito and Asuna, "It is, however, a fair move, considering I can't use it unless my life bar is in the red. But even so, you realize that it is pointless to continue on. You've seen the true extent of my power. None of your powers can reach that level of strength. Surely, you realize that."

Kirito struggled to move the rubble off of him, but he was weakened by the attack he had just endured. One part of him believed Heathcliff's words to be true. However, there was another part of him that didn't wish to give up, just yet. Asuna was feeling the same way as Kirito, trying desperately to move out of the rubble.

"Come on, you guys!" Liz shouted, "You've told us how much you've struggled against those Heartless, Nobodies and all those other enemies. This guy should be next to nothing to beat!"

"Besides, you told us you were gonna save this world, and all the Players in it!" Klein added, "You can't throw in the towel just yet! I won't let you!"

"Mama, Papa, I believe you!" Yui cried out with all her heart, "And I know Sora, Donald, Goofy, and everyone else with them would believe you would win this, too!"

"…Believe…" Kirito muttered, hearing Yui's words ring in his ears. "…Believe…" Asuna echoed, laying still in the rubble. Heathcliff, chuckled a bit. "Surely, you don't really think that it would be that simple." he stated, "Belief can only do so much, but it is not possible for it to overcome me."

"You're wrong." Kirito responded, and Heathcliff heard the sound of rubble moving. He witnessed Kirito rising out of the rubble, followed quickly by Asuna. "Our friends belief are also our belief." Kirito stated, "Our hearts are connected to that one hope that will come true. That, in return, gives us strength." "You don't decide on whether we should just fall down or not." Asuna stated, "Cause we believe that we will surpass anything you unleash, and defeat you!"

"If that really is the case, then show me what your belief can do!" Heathcliff stated, raising his blade up high, making it shine brightly. Asuna and Kirito came together, waiting for the moment to happen.

_(Cue SAO OST 'Swordland')_

Heathcliff brought down his blade, unleashing another blast of energy, sending it straight towards the two. Klein, Liz and Yui watched in horror as the two didn't make any movement of dodging it. Instead, they crossed their Keyblades together, and unleashed a united Reflera spell. The barrier stopped the attack, and it made the two skid backwards a bit by the sheer force of the move. However, they stood their ground, holding onto one another.

Finally, with one unified roar, they whipped their Keyblades forward, causing the barrier to make the attack disintegrate. The burst of energy in retaliation from the Reflera spell was so bright, it blinded everyone in the room, including Heathcliff. "Let us show you what our belief can bring out." Asuna called out to Heathcliff, the two warrior's silhouettes showing through the light, back to back, and their weapons glowing with white and black energy, extending their length.

Kirito and Asuna charged in at a lightning-fast pace. Kirito channeled his energy into Asuna as she unleashed a strong thrust with her shining white weapon. This was followed by Kirito diving under Asuna, and coming around with a black energy sword spin. The two were overwhelming Heathcliff as they continued this pattern, unleashing their Limit Break, 'Aincrad Resolve', onto him with unimaginable force.

"This attack is tight!" Klein stated with amazement. "And it's because of the one thing they have that Heathcliff does not." Yui stated, watching the two engage their Limit Break.

Asuna and Kirito sidestepped away from one another, and dashed at Heathcliff, striking him in a cross slash, which made a large, glowing X on the ground. "…Their friendship, and their hearts…" Yui continued, watching as the two sheathed their Keyblades as if they were their old swords, causing an explosion of digital energy, "…that power gives them the strength to overcome even the creator of Sword Art Online!"

Heathcliff flew a few meters into the air, getting the full impact of the finishing attack. He fell to the ground, tumbling onto his back, and laying motionless. The fight was over.

Kirito and Asuna looked to one another, smiling at their achievement. "I guess we can use our Limit Break, now." Asuna stated. "Yeah. We finally can." Kirito responded. Klein, Liz and Yui came rushing to the two, cheering at the victory the two achieved. Klein praised Kirito as Liz hugged Asuna, whiles Yui flew all about with glee.

All this time, Heathcliff laid on the floor, motionless, his eyes closed. Suddenly, his whole body started to glow bright blue. The team turned to see him shine, then the data scattered all around his body, revealing the man he once was. Dressed in a lab coat, with a white shirt, black tie and pants, and short, dark hair. He stood up without any sign of injury from the battle, and turned to the heroes, all of which were surprised. "Congratulations, Kirito, Asuna." Kayaba commended the two, "You have beaten me."

There was a short, hesitant pause between the two parties, then Kirito asked, "So that's it? You aren't upset we just defeated you?" "I wanted to see that same strength of will used against me like how you did so before." Kayaba explained, "This battle showed me that and more. I cannot be any more satisfied with that."

"I've got a question; why did you return to Aincrad in the first place?" Klein asked, "I mean, I know you created SAO and this castle in the first place, but there's gotta be more to it." "You are correct." Kayaba answered, "The answer is simple; I wished to see Kirito again, to fight him again, and be thoroughly defeated. Of course, I never expected my world to become a reality, let alone fight the two of you with all those new powers of yours. Regardless, my patience was well deserved. Now, I have one last task at hand to take care of."

He turned towards the open floor aways from them, and walked towards it. "What is it?" Liz asked. "If you would follow me, you will find out." Kayaba answered, and he started walking down the stair. The team looked to one another, then followed him.

As they descended, Yui landed onto Kirito's shoulder, looking about. "Is something wrong, Yui?" Asuna asked. "No, not really." Yui answered, "But for some reason, I feel some sort of…nostalgic feeling. It's like something good that was lost is down there." Kirito and Asuna looked to each other, wondering what she meant.

Kayaba stopped on the stairs, causing the others to halt. "MCPH #1…or rather, Yui, I would like to tell you something." he told the Navigation Pixie, "I would like to apologize for ordering Cardinal to shut you away from the Players. I know I almost destroyed you because of it."

"It's okay." Yui answered, "After all, if it wasn't for that, I probably would have never went to my mama and papa, and become their daughter. I am glad that things turned out the way they did."

Kayaba looked to Yui in a surprised manner, seeing the gleeful grin on her face as Kirito and Asuna looked to her with joy in their hearts. "It seems you might have evolved beyond your standard creation." he stated, "I guess that makes three individual that have exceeded my expectations."

"Kayaba, I would like to know why you ordered Cardinal to cut Yui away from the Players in the first place." Kirito questioned, "If she was created to counsel others in need, then why keep her away from them?"

"It wasn't just Yui that I did it to." Kayaba responded, "I ordered all of the MHCPs to not come in contact with the Players." "There were others?" Asuna asked, surprised. "Yes, but they were deleted when you cleared the game." Kayaba answered.

"So why did you do that in the first place?" Kirito asked more firmly. Kayaba paused, then as he continued to descend, he answered, "Because during the ends of the Beta Testing, something happened to one of the Counceling Programs. It was stolen."

The heroes were shocked at this. "Someone stole a Program from SAO?!" Asuna asked, "How is that possible?" "Even I don't know how the culprit did it." Kayaba answered, "I don't even know who the culprit was. Regardless, I made safety measures to prevent the others from being stolen, so I made the order to put them in one of the most secure spots in SAO."

"I get it." Kirito understood, "You prevented them from meeting the Players, thinking that one of them might actually be the culprit, and would try to steal them, too." "You were protecting them." Asuna also understood. Yui looked down, finally understanding why she had to deal with what she did before.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, the team looked about the area. The area was large, with walls lined with hundreds, maybe thousands of small tubes, filled with digital data. In the center of the area, the team could see a GM Console, the computer up, and at a standing level.

"What is this place?" Klein asked, "Looks like one of those power stations you find underneath buildings." "Actually it is a storage facility." Kayaba corrected him, "Each of these tubes contain a specific kind of data. There are 3,853 sets of data in total." _That's nearly four thousands sets of data_. Kirito thought to himself as the team moved forward and looked about the vicinity, _What could be so special about this data, anyway?_

Kirito examined the tubes along the wall, seeing each of them labeled with a name each. He then stopped at one tube, seeing a familiar name on it; 'Diabel'. _Diabel?_ Kirito read, _That was the name of that Beta Tester who lead the team in the first floor boss, but died._

"Kirito, come over here!" Asuna called out. Kirito raced over to her, asking, "What is it?" "Look at this." Asuna pointed at a tube, and Kirito noticed the label on it; Corbatz. "Wasn't that the name of…" Kirito started. "Yeah, the head of the ARMY group that attacked the Gleam Eyes." Asuna finished his statement, "Corbatz died during that battle. Why is his name here?" "There was another name like that on the other wall." Kirito pointed out. The two looked to each other, an impossible theory forming in their heads.

"Hey, guys!" Liz shouted, looking at a pair of tubes, "I know these two names. They were Players that I use to work the weapons on. They were strong, but I heard they died in a Boss Raid." "Same with some of these guys over here." Klein added, looking at the tubes, "Why are they here, anyway?"

Kirito suddenly gasped, and started examining the walls of tubes in the room. "Kirito?" Asuna asked, following him. Kirito didn't answer, but continued looking. He saw the name of Godfrey, who was killed by the traitorous Kuradeel, who was close to his name. Kirito looked further and deeper into the tubes, until finally, he discovered the names he was searching for. There were five tubes containing names well known to Kirito; Keita, Tetsuo, Sasamaru, Ducker, and… "Sachi." Kirito muttered, seeing the name.

"I believe you figured out what this room contains." Kayaba told Kirito and Asuna. Kirito turned to Kayaba, then to all of the tubes on the walls. "These are…the deceased Players of SAO." he answered, "You've kept them. You've kept their data." Kayaba nodded in response.

"But why? I thought you said they weren't able to exist anymore." Asuna recalled. "Technically, that's based on the world as it is." Kayaba answered, "There's no way of returning them back to their own world again. And it is near impossible to reassemble their data again in the virtual one. However, that doesn't mean they can be brought back here, in this dimension." Kirito and Asuna were shocked at these words.

"This is my final task to the two of you." Kayaba continued, "I'm going to hand you all of these Players' data, and it'll be your job to find a way to revive them." "You're asking us to revive the deceased Players again?" Asuna asked, "But how do you expect us to do that?" "That'll be your job to find out." Kayaba answered, "I believe this dimension might have the solution."

"And, you sure they will all turn back to normal if we do find a way?" Kirito asked. "Not exactly." Kayaba answered, "There might even be some side effects, such as a loss of memory or such. Regardless, I have faith that you will see things through, and find a home for these Players. Or rather…" he smiled as he finished, "I believe the two of you will accomplish this task."

Hearing Kayaba saying that he had faith in them was quite unusual. He was regarded as a brilliant scientist and a powerful Player, yet he depended on them to see his work through. They didn't know if he was being kind, or he was just using them. "Okay, Kayaba. We'll do it." Kirito answered, "We're gonna find a way to bring them all back." Asuna nodded in agreement.

"Very well, then." Kayaba responded, and he walked over to the GM Console, and started typing away at it, "The next thing we need to do is stow all of the data into a single object."

"Right, like how we turned Yui into a game item before she was deleted." Kirito recalled. "Exactly." Kayaba answered, "I shall set it up, dubbing it 'Aincrad's Soul'. They will all be stored into one object."

"And what about you?" Asuna asked, "What are you planning on doing?" Kayaba paused, looking at the computer data. "I believe my life should come to a close after this." he answered, surprising the two, "I had done all that I can in this digital body, and have seen enough to be satisfied. Now, all that is left for me is to leave it to others to accomplish my tasks, and be at peace."

He completed the programing, and was about to hit the confirm button when Kirito said, "Wait." Kayaba stopped and turned to him. "You may think you are satisfied with this, but I'm not." Kirito stated, "It's true that you caused a lot of pain in the past, causing all of these Players to suffer and die. You played all of us, and used us for your own benefits, especially me. It sucks at times, but I can see the results of your manipulation, and it has helped. That being said, I think that stops here." "Kirito…" Asuna muttered, wondering what he was getting at.

"And what do you plan on doing?" Kayaba stated, "Are you not going to revive these Players after all?" "No, I will do that." Kirito answered, "I will find a way to do so. But even if I revive them again, I don't know if I'll be able to find them places to call home. We're talking about nearly four thousand Players here. I know it is not something I can do. However, I believe you can do that part. So here is my request to you; Place your own data into the Aincrad's Soul. When you awaken, I want you to help the Players find homes, repent for what you have done to them, and start a new life in this dimension. I'm not ordering you to do this, but I am asking this…as a friend."

Kayaba looked surprised at everything he was asking, especially what he called him afterwards. "I never said we were friends." he told Kirito. "True, but it won't stop me from calling you one." Kirito responded with a smirk, "After all, you helped so many people by giving me the Seed, and you are saving the lives of all of these Players, even though you lied about them being gone forever. I can at least grow on that, and consider ourselves acquaintances. In time, I hope for us to become friends with one another."

"Same here." Asuna agreed, stepping into the conversation, "You may have been my Commander once before, but that's in the past. We are now at equal level, and I think we can start anew in this dimension, and we might possibly be friends with one another. Why don't you give it a shot?" "Yeah. We can all become your friends." Yui agreed, flying onto the GM Console.

Kayaba looked to the three, surprised at their words, and seeing the serious grins on their faces. He then began to chuckle, which increased into a laugh that surprised the two Keyblade wielders. "What's so funny?" Kirito asked. "It seems the three of you have truly changed." he answered, "I don't know if you are fooling with me, or you are being sincere."

"Oh, we are serious." Kirito answered, "You can say, our friend in the other team taught us to be more open to making friends." Asuna and Yui nodded in agreement. "Is that so?" Kayaba asked, "Well, I would like to meet that friend of yours face to face again, and see how you were able to change because of him. That would be an amusing analyzation, to say the least."

He turned to the GM Console, tapping away on it. "Very well then, you win." he told them, "I shall port my own data into the program." Yui watched Kayaba do it, and when he was finished, Yui nodded to Kirito, confirming the transaction. He walked over to one of the empty tubes in the room, raising a hand to it. "I do hope we meet again." he told the heroes. "We will." Kirito answered without hesitation. Kayaba smiled at them, and as he closed his eyes, his body glowed, and he turned into data, which entered the tube, making it glow like the rest of the tubes on the wall.

Kirito walked over to the GM Console, analyzing the data. "You only have to confirm the setup." Yui told him, "He already did everything else." "Okay. Here goes…" Kirito stated, and he activated the program.

Immediately, the data from all around the started to seep out, trailing all the way over to the GM Console. Klein and Liz, who were looking at the other tubes during the conversation, were amazed at the light show they were witnessing. Kirito, Asuna and Yui watched as the data all converged onto one spot, the ball of light growing bigger and bigger by the second. After a while, the data all entered in, and the glowing ended, revealing a chrysalis that was the size of a softball, and it was the exact shape of the Aincrad.

Klein and Liz joined the others as Kirito reached to the Aincrad's Soul. Just as he touched it, something appeared out of the gem. He retracted his hand as two objects fell out, laying themselves on the Console. They were keychains; one which had black chain links and a beta symbol medallion, and the other being silver chain links with a red and white-trimmed cross medallion, which was the symbol of the Knights of the Blood Oath.

"What are those?" Liz asked, "Little keychains?" "No, they are Keyblade Keychains." Asuna answered, "Yui, can you tell what they are?" Yui flew to them, analyzing each one.  
"From what I can see, these two are unique Keyblades, but my guess is that they are made based on mama and papa's weapons during 'Sword Art Online'." Yui explained. "They are?" Kirito asked, amazed.

"Yes. The black one is the Keyblade form of the Elucidator, and the other is the Lambent Light." Yui explained, "Go ahead and try equipping them."

Kirito grabbed the Elucidator keychain, while Asuna took the Lambent Light keychain, and they both replaced them with the keychains on their Keyblades. In an instant, the weapons transformed.

Kirito's Keyblade was a lot like the Elucidator; short, but with slightly more weight than the average Keyblade. It was black and silver-rimmed, with the teeth being a half-circle with three spikes, and an emblem in the middle similar to that on the original Elucidator.

Asuna's Keyblade had many similar resemblances to the Lambent Light rapier she once carried, including the main colors being aqua-green and silver, the handle and the rapier guard with the pair of blue gems embedded into it. In comparison to Kirito's weapon, Asuna's was long, and just as light as her weapon. The teeth was round like Kirito's, with a silver circle inside with rounded, aqua-green wings attached.

Kirito and Asuna looked at their weapons, feeling the connection to them. "They do feel a lot like our old weapons." Asuna noticed. "They also look a lot like them." Klein added, "Despite the key-shaped look to them, they are pretty cool-looking." Kirito swung his Keyblade about, feeling the movement. "It's perfect." he stated, "This Keyblade is just right for me. I'm glad I have it."

"Yeah, but why did these things suddenly appear?" Liz asked, looking at each weapon. Kirito and Asuna looked to one another, then to the Aincrad's Soul. "I bet it was given to us by all those Players in there." Kirito answered. "Their hearts are yearning for us to find a way to save them."

Kirito reached out and took the Aincrad's Soul, storing it away in his clothing. "We should get going and find where Sora and the others are at." he told the group. "That's gonna be difficult, since the place they are at is so far away from our position." Liz stated. "Well, we won't make it there by standing around here." Kirito replied as Yui flew onto his shoulder, "Let's start making our way there." "Eh?!" Klein and Liz cried out as Kirito made his way back to the stairs.

Just as he reached them, a Corridor of Darkness opened up in front of him. Kirito leapt back, readying his weapon. "Woah! What's that?!" Klein demanded. Asuna got serious as she prepared to fight whoever came out of the portal. However, the person that came out of it was none other than Naminé, the girl they met back in Twilight Town.

"It's Naminé!" Asuna realized. "Who?" Liz asked. "I don't know, but she looks cute." Klein noticed with a slight grin.

"Why are you here?" Kirito asked as Naminé stepped out. "I brought Leafa and Recon to this place." Naminé answered, "They are currently with Sora and the others."

"Leafa and Recon are here?" Asuna asked, coming up next to Kirito. "Hold on, does that mean they figured out how to bring this world back home?" Naminé nodded, then added, "But they had help, from someone you've met." "Who?" Kirito asked. She paused before answering, "Axel." Kirito and Asuna looked to each other, shocked. Axel? The same Nobody that they saw during the Heartless siege at Hollow Bastion, and the same guy who kidnapped Kairi?

"I'll lead you to where the others are at." Naminé continued, turning to the Corridor of Darkness, "If you would follow me, please." She walked into the Corridor, with Kirito leading the others through it. The Corridor disappeared from the room.

* * *

When they reappeared, they found themselves in the cavern on the 25th floor, close to the entrance to the boss room. "Man, that was a weird area we just went through." Klein noticed, looking back at the Corridor. Naminé stopped near it, with the others ahead of her. Kirito turned to her. "You not coming?" he asked. She shook her head. "Now is not the time for Sora to see me." she replied, "I'll wait somewhere until Leafa and Recon are ready to go." she walked back into the Corridor of Darkness, and disappeared.

The team walked into the boss room, where everyone was gathered about the large orb of darkness that kept Aincrad in the dimension. They turned at their approach. "Hey, guys!" Sora greeted. "You made it!" Leafa called out to them. "Leafa! Recon!" Liz greeted the two Sylphs. "Hey, Suguha." Kirito answered back.

"We heard you found a way to bring Aincrad back home." Asuna noted. Recon nodded in response, and said, "We managed to figure out that much. It's all because of this thing." They all looked at the dark orb. "It's what's keeping the world in place, and it is attracting Heartless into this world. In order to stop it, we have to destroy it."

"That's all?" Klein asked. "How quickly will the world return back." "Within about ten minutes." Leafa answered, "That's how much time we have to go on our way."

"You guys are really leaving?" Silica asked, woefully. "Why don't you guys just stay here, and get sent back home with us, again?" Sinon questioned. "Because we have no choice." Asuna answered, "The Organization has already tried bringing Aincrad here, involving you guys in danger. Who's to stop them from doing it again?" "You have a point, there." Agil agreed.

"And besides…" Kirito continued, patting the spot that he held the Aincrad Soul in, "We have other reasons for staying here. Important friends, and stuff." He grinned at Sora, who noticed it and grinned back. Donald and Goofy also smiled, as well.

"Well, we should get this over with." Leafa stated, walking over to the dark orb. Kirito, Asuna and Sora joined her, readying their Keyblades. They leapt up simultaneously, slashing at the orb at the same time. There was a brief pause, then the orb shattered, disappearing entirely, along with the dark energy it produced. The job was complete.

"Let's head into town." Kirito stated, "We can say our farewells, there." They agreed and left the room, closing the door behind them.

* * *

**Floor 25 Town**  
Kirito, Asuna, Sora, Donald and Goofy all stood on the teleport gate, staring down at their Player friends. Leafa and Recon said their farewells, and left to a lone alleyway, where Naminé waited for them, bringing them back to Hollow Bastion. Leafa took one last look at Aincrad again, wondering why Axel would help them save it. She then turned away and entered the Corridor of Darkness, leaving the world behind.

"Well, I guess this is farewell, for now." Sora told the others. "I hope we get to see each other again!" Silica told Sora, with Pina chirping in agreement. "You guys better stay alive until all of this is over." Sinon warned Kirito and Asuna. "Yeah, and get back home as soon as you can!" Liz added.

"We'll tell your parents you guys are still hangin' in there." Klein told them. "I can't imagine what they would think if they knew what was going on." Asuna told Kirito, "My parents wouldn't believe it. Especially my mother." "I have my doubts our parents will ever believe this story." Kirito agreed.

"Papa, it's almost time." Yui told Kirito and the others. "Right." Kirito answered. He took one last look at his friends as they waved him and his team off, then Goofy called upon the Gummi Ship, and they disappeared.

When they arrived back on the bridge, Kirito and Asuna went to the window, where they saw Aincrad from a distance. They watched as a black portal formed above it, and it sucked in the entire floating castle, which glowed brightly. Within seconds, the world vanished before their eyes.

Kirito tightened his hands on the window, somewhat regretting not going back home again. Asuna shed a few tears, missing her friends as they left. Sora, Donald and Goofy watched them from a distance, then Sora asked, "You sure you didn't want to go? You could've made it back home by now, with your friends and family."

"True." Kirito agreed, "But we made this decision. We're going to stick with you until Gouxus and the entire Organization XIII is shut down for good." Asuna wiped the tears away, and nodded in agreement.

"Besides, DiZ is still out there, with the information on how to get back home." Kirito added, "I want to say a few things to him as well." He went to his seat, with Yui flying out to the control panel. "Let's get moving!" Kirito stated with a grin, "This ship doesn't work on frowns, you know." Sora smiled and nodded, and everyone got to their positions. They started up the Gummi Ship, and they took off into the endless space.

Kirito pulled out the Aincrad's Soul again, looking at it. _I promise you. I will save all those that were lost._ Kirito thought to himself, _I will find a way!_

* * *

**Three weeks later. Hollow Bastion, Ansem's Computer Lab**

Kirito, Donald and Sora stood in front of the computer, while Asuna, Goofy, Leafa, Recon, Aerith and Yuffie watched from a distance. All of them were waiting as Yui entered the computer world with Tron, the two working together to repair all the data of the lost Players.

"Is it done yet?" Kirito asked, anxiously. Donald and Sora shook their heads, not sure. Finally, they heard Tron call out, "Okay, the reconstruction process is complete. I'll transport them into the real world as we speak."

Sora and Kirito looked excitedly, and they raced to the window, looking down at the machines down in the massive room below. They started to activate simultaneously, and within flashes of lights, Players suddenly appeared, looking about the area, confused. More and more of them continued to churn out, all with the same reaction. "It's working!" Asuna said happily.

Kirito raced down the path to the room below. He stopped at the guardrails separating him and the room, where he witnessed the tens of Players to turn into hundreds, then into thousands. The team was amazed as they witnessed all the Players standing about in a crowd, shocked at their situation.

The heroes were amazed to see so many familiar faces within the crowd. However, Kirito's eyes found the group of people he had been searching for; the lost members of the Moonlit Black Cats guild, including Sachi, who looked about, confused. Kirito's eyes started to water. He began to cry, happy to see that the Players that had died, especially those he knew, were finally able to come back again.

Kayaba, who stood within the crowd, looked up to see the heroes standing there, including the tearful Kirito. He looked down and about the crowd, starting to see the reason why Kirito would've not been able to handle helping all of these people.

Sachi looked up and noticed Kirito in the distance. She was amazed at first, and she started to shuffle through the crowd, with the rest of the Moonlit Black Cats noticing her going, and where to.

It took her a while, but she managed to reach Kirito and the others. "Kirito?" she asked, looking up at him. Kirito wiped the tears from his face, looking down at Sachi. "Hey, Sachi." he greeted her, "Welcome back."

* * *

**Phew! Done! Hope you guys enjoyed that work!**


	16. There & Back! Saitama Keyblade Wielders!

**I apologize for not uploading any new stories for a while. I had been busy on my end, plus helping out my Fanfiction buddy 'Coral the Leviathan' with her work called 'Huntsmen in Kalos'. It is a RWBY X Pokémon crossover, so if you like both of them, go check it out, along with the story before that called 'A Trainer in Remnant', which is an alternate timeline to 'InsaneDominator' and his work 'The Fairy Contender, which is a Pokémon X Fairy Tail crossover.**

**Well, this Final Mix episode is basically what happened in between SAK I and SAK II. It features hints on what's gonna happen in the future stories, so be on the watch for spoilers. Also, there isn't a whole lot of action, so fair warning. Read well!**

* * *

_(I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Sword Art Online. I just use my work to make others happy, and to inspire their imaginations!)_

**Prologue**

_ (Twilight Town: After the defeat of Organization XIII, just as Leafa and Recon left for ALO)_

Yui flew off of Sora, and landed onto Kirito's shoulder as both he and Asuna looked at Sora. "Well…this is goodbye, isn't it?" Kirito asked, already feeling sad for leaving him. "For the time being." Sora responded, "But who knows; we might get to see each other in the near future." "How do you know that?" Asuna asked, confused. "He doesn't." Kirito answered her, smiling, "He just believes we will, right?" "You got it!" Sora answered, giving a thumbs up.

Kirito, Asuna and Yui giggled at Sora's carefree statement. "In that case, then I'll believe we'll see each other again." Kirito stated. "Me, too." Asuna agreed, "Though next time, let's try to ease up on getting involved in another 'save the dimension' sort of thing, okay?" Sora grinned cheekily at this. "I'll believe we'll see each other, too!" Yui pipped up, "No, we'll definitely see each other, and no calculation will say otherwise in my book." Asuna and Kirito looked to Yui, seeing just how much more 'human' she had become.

Sora reached his hand out to the center of the group, beckoning them. Kirito and Asuna placed their hands on top of Sora's, signaling their promise and their friendship. Yui flew forward, and placed her hands on theirs. They stood their for a second, then they parted, with Asuna, Kirito and Yui going to the transporter. "Till next time, Sora." Kirito called back, saluting him with two fingers. "Take care of yourself, 'kay?" Asuna told him. "You got it, and thanks a lot for everything!" Sora thanked the trio.

The three got into the machine, readying themselves to get back home. They turned to face the crowd, all waving at them. The trio waved back as the machine powered up, and the trio were whisked away in a flurry of data, heading back to the virtual world they knew well, in their own dimension.

* * *

**Intro: Cue song (S.O.W Sense of Wonder)**

**That's right, we can do it! So what if life's full of mysteries?**  
_(In front of the golden emblem of Kingdom Hearts, Sora and Kairi pop from below, turning into red and pink energy as they dove into through the heart. Kirito and Asuna follow up on them, turning into bronze and blue energy as they followed.)_  
**The miraculous door is right before our eyes.**  
_(Leafa, Recon and Riku join in together, turning into two green and one yellow energy, diving into the heart. SAKII Yui, Donald and Goofy followed from behind, turning into white, blue and green energy respectively as they dove after the others.)_  
**This entire world is a wonderland. We're already wondering!**  
_(The camera goes into the heart, through a multi-colored stream as Mickey, Kayaba, Gretinal, Ven, Aqua, Terra, Jackson, Latias, Cypress, Jiminy Cricket, Axel, Naminé and DiZ flew in from multiple colors, joining everyone as the screen went white.)_  
**When anticipation turns into excitement, it'll be wonderful, won't it?**  
_(The Sword Art Kingdom emblem fades into the screen, with the title 'Sword Art Kingdom: Final Mix' appearing in front.)_

**Who am I? And what is real?**  
_(Sora's Kingdom Keyblade started spinning on one side, while witnessing Sora unleashing his Sonic Blade technique from the past. Scene shifts to Asuna's Lambent Light Keyblade spinning while Asuna unleashes her Star Splash Rapier Skill from the past.)_  
**Why can't we see tomorrow?**  
_(Kirito's Elucidator Keyblade spins while Kirito is unleashing two Keyblades in a Starburst Stream Dual Blade Skill from the past. Scene shifts to Leafa's Sylphwing Keyblade, while Leafa flies through the air, slashing with a windy Keyblade.)_  
**The more curiosity, the more we achieve higher levels.**  
_(Mickey, Donald and Goofy standing happily together in the gardens of the castle while Jiminy, Minnie, Daisy, Kayaba, Chip and Dale stood behind them. Scene shifts to the log cabin in Aincrad, with Yui leaping happily, while Liz, Klein, Silica, Agil, Sinon, and Recon standing behind her.)_  
**Our everyday together is pretty fun, don't you think?**  
_(Sora and Riku were sparring with one another on the beach shore of the Destiny Islands, while Kairi was cheering for them. Scene shifts to Kazuto sparring with Suguha in the Kirigaya dojo, while Asuna, Shinichi, and the computer with Yui on it watching them.)_  
**Tell me! Sense of Wonder.**  
_(Scene shifts to may pictures, with Kirito and the armored Terra looking away from each other. Then a sad Asuna with Aqua with her back to her. Then Sora, Roxas, and Ven looking three different direction. Then Leafa standing in front, with Axel and Recon staring at different directions. Then Kairi and Naminé holding hands with one another, while Xion was looking away, depressed. Then Xemnas, Heartless Ansem, Gouxus, and Heartless Oberon standing with one another, with the images of Sugou and Xehanort silhouetted behind them. Then Gretinal and Yen Sid together, with the camera panning up with a Pixie Yui and Jiminy Cricket, as the images of Mickey, Jackson, Latias, Cypress, Saturn, Dreamcast and Drive showed.)_

**Teach it! Life is full of teachings!**  
_(Yui and Jiminy went off screen, with Yui becoming big again, joining the other five heroes, who gather them up, and take off along the open grassy road to who-knows where.)_

**So we can make it!**  
_(Sora, Donald and Goofy begin clashing with the several members of Mushroom XIII)_  
**Let's go search for more mysteries!**  
_(Asuna, as Cure Soul, and Yui leap into action with the rest of the Pretty Cure (Max Heart to Suite) flying behind them.)_  
**I won't be satisfied with the typical answer.**  
_(Kirito and the Lingering Will are at a standoff at the Keyblade Graveyard, then the two clash with one another with a great amount of power, causing an explosion.)_  
**A wonder life that's under a spell. Our future is full of wonder!**  
_(When the explosion disappeared, revealing Kirito, Sora and Asuna together, standing in front of the crowd of heroes. Then the other side, where it shows Xemnas, Gouxus, Heartless Ansem and Oberon standing in front of the enemies the heroes fight against.)_

**Let's Wondering!**  
_(Final scene of six heroes standing in front of the screen, surrounded by Mickey, Riku, Kairi, Jiminy, Recon, Leafa and Kayaba, as they all grinned at the viewers)_

* * *

**8/2/2026**

Inside a hospital room, Kazuto Kirigaya's body was still unconscious, his Amusphere still on top of his head. Mrs. Aki stood there at the monitor, checking his conditions. It had been since mid-April since Kazuto and Asuna dove into ALO, only for their avatars to somehow disappear without a trace.

Then a week later, Suguha Kirigaya and Shinichi Nagato's avatars also disappeared. Many researchers were trying to understand the phenomenon that happened. They were clearly not dead, but their avatars were no longer in ALO, no matter how they scanned it. They needed to figure out what was going on here, especially during those few hours when all of Aincrad suddenly vanished and reappeared again, with some of the people inside that disappeared mysteriously, as well. All of this was a mystery to every researcher.

Mrs. Aki sighed as she pulled herself away from the monitor, looking to Kazuto's body. "This is the third time I had to take care of your body because of this." she told the unconscious boy, "First SAO, then GGO, and finally, this. I wonder if you were cursed with getting into trouble in the virtual world?"

She continued to look down at Kazuto's face, then saw the lights on his Amusphere starting to die down. She looked surprised. This meant that Kazuto had gone offline, but that couldn't have happened unless…

She had her answer the moment Kazuto's eyes started to squint, then open slowly. "K-Kirigaya!" Aki exclaimed. Kazuto turned slowly to either side, then stared at Aki's face, who's eyes began to water happily. "Oh, thank God, you're awake!" she gasped, "Are you okay? Please say something!" Kazuto looked up at the ceiling then raised his hand, tilting it from side to side. "I'm back again…" were the first words he said. Aki smiled and nodded, thankful for his revival.

Kazuto slowly raised himself, but stumbled a bit. Aki reached out and supported his back. "Easy! You've been out for a while!" she warned him. When Kazuto was lifted into a sitting position, he looked about again, seeing his surroundings. "I'm in the hospital." he noticed. "That's right. It's the same room you were in during SAO." Aki explained. Kazuto looked down at his body. It wasn't as bad as it was after the SAO incident, but it was weakened.

"How long was I out for?" he asked Aki. "About three and a half months." Aki answered, "But never mind that, what happened to you and the others? Everyone was worried about how the four of you vanished from the game!"

Kazuto had to process everything that had just happened, then it all started to come together again. "Asuna… Where is Asuna? And Sugu? And Recon?" Kazuto demanded. "Th-they're close." Aki answered, worried they might not be up, yet. "I can take you to them if you want." Kazuto nodded in confirmation.

Aki brought a wheelchair over for Kazuto to weakly get into. He was carried out of the room, into the hallway, where several employee members were startled at the sudden reawakening of Kazuto. They reached a room that was labeled 'Asuna Yuuki'. Nurse Aki opened the door, and brought Kazuto in.

It didn't take them very long to see the same results happened here. Asuna was sitting upright on her bed, turning to see Kazuto there. The doctor that was taking care of Asuna was also there, and he turned to see Kazuto and Aki. As the doctor went to speak with Aki, Kazuto and Asuna sat there, looking from them to each other. Eventually, Asuna smiled. "We're home again." she told him. "Yeah." Kazuto agreed, "We did it. We're finally back."

* * *

**8/18/2026**

_ (Kazuto speaking) "When we got home again, we were questioned by several people, not just the work staff at the hospital, but programmers of ALO, researchers, and even Seijirou Kikuoka wanted some answers._

_Before all of this, Asuna, Suguha, Shinichi and I discussed with one another and agreed that, no matter what they might ask, we will be ready. We made an elaborate lie, saying that we were stuck inside a data pocket within the ALO system, and that we were unable to log out of there because we weren't connected to the system from there._

_We pretended not to know about the incident on how Aincrad came to the other dimension, nor made any remarks about anything that happened in the other dimension all together. After all, one of the rules of a Keyblade's chosen one; never tell others about other worlds. If we did tell, people would either find us crazy, or try to find ways of reentering the other dimension from here. We've already dealt with enough, so we didn't need anyone else to get in harms way._

_ It took a while, but eventually settled things down. I think we got some people to believe, but others weren't so easily convinced, but were convinced not to question us more. Seijirou was among those people. He was not an easy person to read, that's for sure._

_ Ryoutarou, Keiko, Rika, Andrew and Shino all came to see us, happy to see us alive and well again. We made sure that no one could hear us as we explained to them what had happened since the last they met. Andrew explained that the news of our disappearance was on the news, and after the incident in Aincrad, they tried to convince our parents that we were fine, and trying to find a way back home. While they half believed it, our families were worried or discouraged about the further trouble the virtual world was doing to us. Shinichi's family, who had not experienced losing a child in SAO, were especially worried about Shinichi. From what I also heard, Asuna's folks were not happy, especially her mom._

_ For the next couple weeks, we had to restore our bodies to their normal strength. For some reason, it didn't take too long to do so. Even Shinichi was able to get out a week later after Asuna, Sugu and I were fully healed. We all agreed to stay away from the virtual world for a while, just to keep our families happy. Asuna's mother forbid it for an entire month, which didn't make Asuna happy at all._

_Still, we were able to find a way to do so. After a week from leaving the hospital, Asuna was able to meet Suguha and I again. I thought we should all meet together, so after school, I drove Asuna back to my place, where Suguha would be waiting._

Kazuto drove the bike through the narrow streets of Saitama, heading back to his home. The visors on their helmets prevented others to see their faces, but Asuna's long hair stuck out from underneath, flowing behind in the wind. Kazuto guided the bike all the way back home again, parking it on the driveway. He and Asuna hopped off the bike, and took off their helmets.

"Here we are." Kazuto muttered, looking at his house. He looked to Asuna, who was looking about at the place, then he realized something as she muttered, "So this is what your home looks like." "I forgot you have never been here before." Kazuto reminded himself, "Come to think of it, we've never been to either one of our houses."

"Yeah, but that's because my mother is not really interested in me bringing friends home." Asuna answered solemnly, "She doesn't really accept you, yet." "I get it." Kazuto understood, "Well, I'll just have to find a way to impress her, right?" "With my mother, that's not gonna be easy." Asuna replied as she and Kazuto walked to the front doors, and entered in.

_(Cue SAO II OST 'Daily Life, You and Me')_

They arrived in the backyard, where they found Suguha practicing with her kendo stick in front of the pond. "Hey, Sugu." Kazuto greeted her. "Oh, hey, Kazuto. Hey, Asuna." Suguha greeted them, lowering her kendo stick as they came closer.

"I see you're hard at work." Asuna pointed out. "Yeah, well, my real body has been out of commission for three and a half months." Suguha pointed out, "I have to keep training if I want to get back to my normal self again."

The trio paused as they looked up at the sky, pondering on what had happened during all that time. "I can't believe all that happened to us." Kirito pointed out. "I know. It all feels like one big dream." Suguha replied. "And yet, all of us were having the same one." Asuna retorted, "The three of us, Yui and Shinichi. But does that prove it was all real?"

"I think so." Kazuto answered, "Even if we thought it wasn't, we still did become friends with Sora, Donald, Goofy, and all those other guys. If there was something Sora taught us, it was to cherish the friendships we have, and believe in it."

The trio paused as some leaves flew across the sky along the wind. "Well, what do we plan on doing, now?" Suguha asked, "I'm still being constantly questioned about what really happened during our time there." "Yeah, I'm still being questioned, too." Asuna agreed.

"We'll just have to keep to our story, and not tell anyone about it." Kazuto told them, "In the meantime, I wouldn't mind taking my mind off of it. Let's go into the dojo and teach Asuna how to properly do kendo." "Sure, I would like to learn that." Asuna replied, "I wouldn't mind learning how to wield a sword IRL."

The trio walked over to the dojo, and saw the door to it held by a lock. "I forgot, mom took the key with her when she went to work." Suguha sighed, "I can't believe she forgot to give it to us." "Would be nice if we had our Keyblades, right now." Asuna said amusingly, "It would make this problem easy to solve." "Yeah. All we have to do is summon them and unlock the lock." Kazuto stated, mocking his way of summoning the Keyblade like before.

As he waved his hand in front of him, there was a flash of light, and Kazuto's Elucidator Keyblade miraculously summoned into his hand. There was short second pause, then Asuna and Suguha cried out in amazement as Kazuto's eyes were shocked.

"K-Kirito, is that…!" Asuna stammered. Kazuto looked down at the Keyblade, amazed to see it magically appear in his hand. He held it close to him, looking up and down the stem of the blade, then he looked at the lock ahead of him, and waved the Keyblade to it. The tip of the blade lit up, and shot at the keyhole of the lock, unfastening it.

"It's real!" Suguha gasped. "But how? How are you able to use the Keyblade?!" Asuna asked. "I…I don't know." Kazuto replied, looking at his Keyblade again. He turned to the two girls and asked, "Try summoning your Keyblades."

The two girls looked to one another, then they waved their hands forward, focusing on summoning their weapons. Immediately, Asuna's Lambent Light Keyblade and Suguha's Sylphwing Keyblade came to their hands. They were shocked at the magic they had just unleashed.

"It's really here!" Asuna gasped, seeing her Keyblade in her hand, "Our Keyblades. They're really here." "But, how is this even possible?" Suguha asked. The trio looked to one another, then Kazuto thought of something.

"Maybe, we're able to use them because we dove into our hearts and unlocked the power to wield one." he answered, "The Keyblades are connected to us, so it makes sense that we are able to use them, even now."

Asuna looked at Kirito, then at the pond aways from them. She pointed to the pond and shouted, "_Blizzaga!_" Nothing whatsoever happened. "My magic isn't working." Asuna muttered, then she tried, "_Firaga! Curaga!_" The magic wasn't happening.

"We can't use magic anymore." Suguha stated. "It's probably not just our magic." Kazuto told them, "Our Drive Forms, Limits, and techniques we learned in Sora's dimensions didn't come back with us when we crossed back to the virtual world."

"So, apart from being able to summon Keyblades, we're still normal?" Asuna asked. "Who said that summoning these things made us normal?!" Suguha demanded, "I mean, it proves that everything that happened to us before was real!" Kazuto and Asuna looked to each other. She was right. Everything that happened before was real, and now, they had the power of the Keyblade in their hands.

* * *

**8/20/2026**

_ The immediate shock of it all still didn't roll over. We told Yui and Shinichi about it, and the two were just as surprised as us. Shinichi wasn't able to summon his weapon again, but it wasn't necessary. In fact, we all decided to keep this a secret to themselves, except for a few individuals. We asked Klein and everyone else to meet up at Agil's place at the Dicey Café, to show them the truth of it all._

"It's totally real, man!" gasped Klein, holding Kazuto's Keyblade in his hands. The three heroes were surrounded by their friends Shinichi (Recon), Ryoutarou (Klein), Rika (Liz), Keiko (Silica), Shino (Sinon), and Andrew (Agil). When they got the news that Kazuto, Suguha and Asuna still had some of their powers, they immediately came all together at the Dicey Café. Yui was transferred to the VR Probe on Kazuto's shoulder, and was brought along with.

"So, now you can use those Keyblades because your hearts are connected to them?" Rika asked Asuna. "Yeah, at least, that's what we figure." she answered, as Kazuto summoned his Keyblade out of Klein's hands.

"But you said you can't use your magic or those other forms of yours, right?" Shino remembered. "Yeah. And since we were in our avatars, all those fighting skills and strength didn't transfer IRL." Kazuto sighed, "The only thing we can do is summon our Keyblades, and use their powers."

"Speaking of your avatars, did you check on what happened to them in ALO?" Klein asked curiously. "We made a promise to not go back online again for a while, but we did have Yui check it out for us." Suguha explained, turning to the VR probe on Kirito's shoulder, "Go on, tell them what you discovered."

"Well, I did an analysis on the avatars, and learned that their weapons and armor have changed." Yui started to explain, "From what I can guess, the magic that changed mama, papa, Leafa and Recon's clothes before caused a glitch to form from them upon entering the system."

"Is it dangerous?" Keiko asked. "No. The glitch isn't hazardous to the Players or the system." Yui answered, "However, it has permanently changed the armor to its' transformed look. Plus, it is given slight upgrades, but nothing overpowering. As for the weapons, they have reached the maxed smithing upgrade to each of them."

"Seriously?!" Rika gasped, "That seems like cheating, to me. I hadn't even maxed them out, myself!" "I dunno." Klein retorted, "Those guys went through their fair share of troubles in that dimension, and saved it. The least they can get is some extra bonuses on Alfheim Online for their reward."

"But what about you, Yui?" Keiko asked, "Are you affected in any way from going back?" "Yes. Remember when mama and papa created a summoning charm that contained all of my old programing as a Mental Health Counceling Program?" she reminded them, "Well, all that data was transferred to me when we returned, so I've regained my connection to the Cardinal System."

"Does that mean you can use the system to do all kinds of things, like unlock hidden rooms, special items and such?" Klein asked. "Yes, but I don't plan to abuse my powers." Yui answered, "After protecting mama and papa in SAO and nearly being deleted from the system, I don't want to cause an incident like that, again."

"That's true." Kazuto agreed, "We've already nearly lost you once, and we plan not to have that happen again." "We forbid it." Asuna added. "Don't worry. I won't make you sad again." Yui assured them. Kazuto and Asuna smiled at the VR Probe, thankful for her care for them. "Jeez, the apple doesn't fall from the tree between those three." Rika joked.

"Well, you got those weapons of yours." Shino stated, "What do you plan to do with them?" Kazuto, Asuna and Suguha looked at one another, wondering. "That is a good question." Suguha agreed, "I mean, it is fun for me to just summon it out to do kendo practice whenever I want. But it isn't that useful in everyday life. There isn't really anyone or anything to fight with it."

"That's true, but I get the feeling the Keyblades are with us for a reason." Kazuto retorted, "After everything that happened in the other dimension, I think there might be a chance that the Heartless or some other kind of enemy will show up. I know it sounds grim, but we need to prepare ourselves with whatever dangers will come our way."

The team looked at one another, concern. Considering the warning Kazuto gave, what might lie ahead of them sounds dangerous. And considering the fact that it is an unknown future for all of them, they had to be ready.

"I guess we should start at square one, again." Kazuto deciding, standing up and drawing the teams attention. "What do you mean 'square one'?" Suguha asked. "Our bodies in that world were our avatars, and we were using the borrowed power of those bodies to win." her brother answered, "Now, we have our real bodies. We might need to use them to fight enemies in this world."

"In other words, we're going to do some IRL training." Asuna understood, "It is a good idea but…well, remember that apart from us, no one knows about our powers. If they were known by it, then things might get out of hand." "That's true. The fact is that it is a rule not to tell about other worlds, and for good reasons." Suguha stated, "If others were to realize there were other worlds out there than ours, who knows what kinds of actions they might do to try to get to them."

"Exactly." Kazuto agreed, "We're lucky that our parents didn't buy that we were in a different world. Right now, for everyone's safety, we need to keep all of this a secret. Does everyone understand." Everyone nodded in understanding.

"Following that, if we're going to train ourselves with the Keyblades, we're going to have to find a place that's secluded from the public eye, yet open enough for us to practice." Suguha stated, "Does anyone have a good place we can train?"

Everyone thought for a while of a place to match that description, but it was a clearing throat from the bar that made everyone turn to Andrew. "Not that I seem to have had a say in this conversation, but I might just have a place for us to do just that." "Where?" Asuna asked, surprised.

A few minutes later, the team found themselves standing at the front gate of an abandoned lot, surrounded by a concrete wall. There were a couple run-down buildings around it, but they, too, looked abandoned.

"What is this place?" Kazuto asked, questionably. "It use to be part of a commercial district. But because the businesses were going downhill, the place isn't used anymore." Andrew explained, "I had kept it in mind in case I wanted to expand the Dicey Café, but I think it is better suited for your needs. Not many people come by here, and even if they did, the buildings and these walls usually hide anyone inside this lot from view."

"It is more than big enough for us to train here." Suguha stated. "And it isn't too far out of the way from your bar." Asuna pointed out to Andrew. "It's perfect." Kazuto finished, "You really pulled through for us."

"So, now that you have a place like this, when are you gonna train in it?" Shinichi asked. "How about after school?" Rika asked, "We could all come here and watch you practice." "Maybe. And maybe we can also tell our parents we are studying our homework together IRL." Asuna added, "I know that my mom would be more satisfied with me working with real people than meeting them in the virtual world." "Such as the curse of a rich girl, eh?" Rika joked. Asuna blushed angrily.

"Then that settles it." Kazuto decided, "This will be our training spot for using the Keyblade. We'll come here after school and on weekends, and practice fighting like how we did back in Sora's dimension."

"Maybe we should really do some homework together, just so that we don't make our parents suspicious." Suguha added. "Good thinking. They're already worried about what happened to us before." Kazuto stated, "We'll do everything we can to keep this a secret from everyone, agreed?" Everyone there nodded in agreement. "You got it, papa." Yui answered.

Kazuto, Asuna and Suguha summoned their Keyblade again, holding them high. "From now on, we'll be the Keyblade Wielders of Saitama." Asuna declared, "Let's get ready for whatever comes our way!" "Yeah!" cheered the rest of the team.

* * *

_ And so, our training begun that very next day. For the next couple weeks, we trained with our Keyblades, reliving the fighting styles we used since back in Sora's dimension. We were able to regain our styles of combat pretty quickly, since it was pretty natural to us._

_We used training equipment we built to practice our skills, and tried pulling off some techniques while we were training with the Keyblades. Somehow, I manage to unleash a Strike Raid unintentionally, but after a week of training on the one move, I managed to pull it off without a hitch. Asuna's and Suguha's skills were increasing just as quickly, too._

_We were strong when it came to our fighting, but fighting against one another with those weapons was a bit dangerous. That's when the three of us would come to the dojo at our house, and we would spar with kendo equipment. Asuna was pretty fresh at kendo, but not in swordplay. She managed to learn about how to do kendo thanks to Suguha and my's teachings._

_Yui would help us from time to time, recording the battles we do, or the training sessions, then we would gather and point out moments where our techniques were wrong, or what happened that caused us to lose in matches._

_For two weeks, we managed to do all of this without any signs of suspicions from our parents. Klein, Rika and the other would come watch us train or combat with one another. All in all, things were going all right for us. But of course, in our lives, we had to keep reminding ourselves that unexpected things come by us all the time. And this one moment was more unexpected than anything…_

* * *

**9/6/2026**

Suguha, Kazuto and Asuna decided to visit the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace, which they haven't done since after the events of Yuuki's death. Asuna insisted that they had fought so much, that they needed a break for a bit, and just visit the scenes of one of Japan's famous landmarks.

"It's still as beautiful as the day we left it." Asuna noticed, "Course, with the fall weather coming in, the leaves are starting to fall everywhere." "It does put the gardens in a different setting like this." Suguha added.

The two girls turned to Kazuto as Asuna asked, "Hey, Kirito, have you been keeping up with trying to pursue that goal you told me before? The one involving bringing together the virtual world with the real one?" "Well, I am able to get back into the swing of things when it comes to mechatronics." Kazuto answered, "Although…"

"What is it?" Asuna asked. Kazuto couldn't really say what he was thinking, so he answered, "Nah, it's nothing really." "Oh, come on, Kazuto! You can't just leave us hanging like that!" Suguha retorted, "Is there something wrong in your work?"

"No, nothing's wrong with that." Kazuto answered, "It's just…after everything we went through, after seeing so many worlds out there, I start to realize that it is more than just the virtual world and the real world. You also have to consider all of the other worlds out there. The fact that we were open to new places that are so distantly connected from one another, being kept a secret from one another, I wonder what would happen if we were to expand the connection? Not just between two worlds, but to many, all at once."

"You have a good point." Asuna agreed. "No arguments here." Suguha added, "After all the crazy things that happened to us, we can't deny that what we went through was a real eye opener."

"I really don't know what the future has in store for us, but one thing's for sure." Kazuto stated, "I wouldn't go anywhere without the two of you with me." Suguha and Asuna smiled in agreement. Both of them could say the very same about one another.

They continued on their walk, reaching a part of the Imperial Palace. They had reached a part where no one seemed to be gathered at. As Suguha rounded the corner, she bumped into someone that suddenly appeared. She stumbled back as Asuna and Kazuto came to her side. "Ouch!" she groaned. "Sorry 'bout that." a male voice answered, "You sure appeared out of nowhere."

Then as the man saw the other two, he gasped, "Woah, no way!" Kazuto and Asuna looked at the man, and were startled. He may be wearing a slick black leather jacket over a navy blue shirt and blue jeans, but the face was too recognizable to the two. His dirty blonde hair styled into an odd mullet with bangs falling onto his face was a dead giveaway, not to mention his youthful appearance and the guitar case he carried in one gloved hand. It was Demyx, one of Organization XIII's members, in the flesh.

"You!" Asuna gasped. "No way!" Kazuto gasped, "You're that Nobody we fought at Hollow Bastion!" Suguha regained herself as she looked to the two, surprised. "I remember you two, as well." Demyx answered, "You're the two Keyblade wielders alongside Roxas' Somebody. Well, what are the odds?"

Kazuto gritted his teeth as he saw an old enemy. He didn't know how he was in this world, nor why. All he knew was that he had to be taken down. He leapt to one side, pulling out his Elucidator Keyblade. "You better start talking!" he growled, "What're you doing here?! How are you alive?!"

"Woah, woah, easy there, buddy!" Demyx answered, using his guitar case as a sort of defense for his body, "First of all, this world is where I come from. Secondly, I'm no Nobody anymore. Once you beat me, I came back to this world, a full person again, heart and all."

The trio were surprised. "You're…not a Nobody?" Asuna asked. "You got it." Demyx answered, "I'm me again. Oh, and just to let you know, I'm no longer Demyx. Call me Myde, my stage name, or Yasu, my real name."

Kazuto saw the looks in his eyes, and placed his Keyblade away. "So, you aren't part of the Organization anymore?" "No, but thank goodness I ain't part of it anymore." Yasu sighed, "I forgot what it was like to be a person again. Now, the only thing I'm fighting is time for me to relax." He chuckled at his own joke as the others sweat-dropped at the bad pun.

"But how can you be a whole person again?" Suguha asked, "Do all Nobodies become people again when they pass away?" "Who knows?" Yasu answered, "Maybe those who were part of the Organization?" Suguha looked down, wondering. If that was the case, then it was possible that Axel might've…

Just then, Kazuto's stomach let out a growl, getting everyone's attention. "Looks like someone is a bit hungry." Asuna stated. "That's what happens when you don't eat your lunch coming here." Suguha sighed. Kazuto rubbed the back of his head embarrassingly.

"I know a good diner nearby." Yasu stated, "If you want, I can treat you to a meal. Think of it as an apology for all the stuff I put you through, and a thanks for making me back to who I am again." The trio looked at each other, then Kazuto answered, "Well, I guess you aren't a threat anymore, so we can take your offer." "That's…a comforting answer." Yasu chuckled nervously, "C'mon! I'll show you the place." With that, the heroes followed the former Organization XIII member.

* * *

The diner looked standard, although it also looked like half of it was a bar, complete with a stage in the corner made for small bands to perform on.

They all took their seats, with the three heroes sitting on one end, and Yasu on the other side, placing his guitar on the seat next to him. After examining the menu, the former Nobody ordered a burger with fries, along with Kazuto, and all of them ordered a malt; Yasu and Asuna having a vanilla, while Kazuto had a chocolate, and Suguha having a caramel.

"It's a shame they don't have Sea Salt ice cream here." Suguha sighed, "I really did enjoy that flavor." "Yeah. Axel gave me one as a treat at one point." Yasu stated, "Shame you can't find that flavor everywhere here."

"So, Yasu." Kazuto stated, "I gotta ask, but what is your real occupation?" Yasu patted his guitar case as he answered, "I'm the head of a rock band. I was gone for a while, but I got my buddies back together, and we started up our group, the Melodious Wave."

"You're a musician?" Suguha questioned, "Then how come you were part of the Organization? Did they need songs in there?" "Who knows?" Yasu answered, "I certainly didn't see why they wanted me there. I mean, it was cool that I got all those special skills, but I didn't like going on missions at all. Course, I was mainly sent for reconnaissance in worlds. I can't say they were pleasant."

"So, was that what you were doing when we first met you in the Underworld? Reconnaissance?" Kazuto asked as they heard the bell ring as the door opened. "Sort of, but they mainly sent me there to find Roxas." Yasu answered, "The Organization wanted to have Sora and you guys off as many Heartless with the Keyblades, so that we could gather more hearts for our goal." "We know." Asuna stated, her eyes narrowing at how they were used back then.

"Really? Well the secrets out for that one. But I bet you didn't know we, I mean, they also had that girlfriend of Sora's, as well." Yasu pointed out, "They were trying to add fuel to Sora's fire, so that he could keep slaying Heartless." "We already set her free." Suguha pointed out, surprising the former Nobody, "She's home, along with Sora and the gang." "No way!" Yasu gasped, "So, could that mean that you guys…"

"Hey! What're you doing, talking to these kids about that stuff?!" barked a girl's voice. The team turned and saw a young lady in her mid 20s walking up to them. She had short blonde hair slicked back, with two strands poking up like antenna. Despite the weather, she wore a lightning yellow, short-sleeved shirt that showed her belly button, with blue jeans and black high-heeled boots. She also wore a black belt around her waist with a button shaped like a lightning bolt, and she carried a shoulder bag that was swung carelessly over one shoulder.

"This is what happens when lazy bums like you when they get back home again." she sassed, placing a hand on her hip, "You end up blabbing the stories about your successes to everyone you see fit. I knew you were useless back then, but seriously…"

"Says the witch who tries to demote everyone she sees." Yasu said back, his frown showing his dislike for her, "Oh, and for the record, you didn't last as long as I did. I wonder why that is? Oh, that's right! Someone was trying to get way over their head!" "Shut it, Demyx!" the lady barked irritably.

The three innocent Keyblade wielders just looked back and forth, not wanting to confront the argument between those two. "Should we ask who this girl is?" Asuna asked. "Not sure. We might get struck by that girl's silver tongue." Kazuto answered.

"I heard that!" barked the lady, then she mumbled, "Man, if only I can use my skills like I could before, then you four would be begging for mercy…" "Except that didn't come back to us when we became people again." Yasu answered, "I can't summon my weapon, nor any of my powers, now can I?" "Which makes you more useless than ever." the lady sassed.

Finally, she turned to the trio as she demanded, "So, I take it you're acquainted with this rock music-for-brains?" "Y-Yeah." Asuna stammered, "And by the way you talked to him and called him 'Demyx', I suppose you knew him as a Nobody, just like how we did."

The girl looked surprised as they knew him as a Nobody, until Yasu stated, "These three 'kids' are actually wielders of the Keyblade, just like that Sora kid. The boy and girl in white were the ones that joined Sora in kicking me to the curb."

"Seriously?" the girl stated, "You three? You wield Keyblades?" Asuna secretly summoned her Keyblade before her, convincing her of the truth. "Well, I'll be…" she realized as Asuna placed it away before anyone saw it, "Guess what 'useless' said before to me was true. There were other wielders."

"Stop calling me 'useless'!" Yasu barked, then he cleared his throat as he told the trio, "Guys, this witch here was formerly Organization's Number XII, Larxene. Her real name is Nariko." The lady huffed as a matter of greeting them.

"I'm Kazuto, but some people call me Kirito." Kazuto greeted her, "This is Asuna, and this is my sister, Suguha." "Hey." she greeted them, "So out of curiosity, how's the Organization holding up? Since Yasu, here, wasn't about after you offed him, I kinda wondered what the results were." "The Organization is finished." Suguha stated, "Xemnas was taken down, as the rest of them."

"Whoa! Even Xiggy? And Axel, too?" Demyx asked, amazed, "Man, I didn't think that was gonna happen. So no one got to Kingdom Hearts, huh? Kind of a shame." "It wasn't yours to begin with!" Kazuto retorted.

"By the way, I was confused about something." Asuna told Nariko, "From what I noticed, all the Organization members' names were just anagrams of their former names, plus adding an X. Like Sora's Nobody was Roxas, and Demyx said his 'stage name' was Myde." "Yeah, and Axel told me his old name was Lea." Suguha added. "So how can your Nobody name be Larxene, when your real name is Nariko?" Asuna asked.

"Duh, because when I became a Nobody, I wasn't using my real name." Nariko huffed, "I was using my avatar name, which was Elenar." "Avatar name?" Kazuto questioned, "You mean you're an VRMMO Player?" "Yep, of course I am!" Nariko answered.

She then looking at both Kazuto and Asuna, she realized, "Oh, that's right! I thought your faces looked familiar. You two were responsible for clearing 'Sword Art Online' by beating Heathcliff, right?" The two were startled at this. "You know us?" Asuna asked. "Know you? Heck, I was in the front lines with the rest of your parties!" Nariko answered, "I thought I made a name for myself in that game."

This bit of news now shocked all three Keyblade Wielders. "Y-You're an SAO Survivor?!" Kazuto stammered. "Yeah. Me, and 'Yasu'-less over there." Nariko answered, pointing to Yasu. "No way!" Suguha gasped, the trio looking at the two.

"That's right!" Asuna gasped, "You were part of the Holy Dragon Alliance! I remember you now! You were that girl who was the only expert with throwing knives in the front lines!" "Took you long enough to remember." Nariko sassed, "Man, and here I thought I was able to make a name for myself, and let people know of my expertise in SAO."

"What about you?" Kazuto asked Yasu, "I don't remember you part of the front lines." "Well, I was part of reconnaissance until floor 57." he replied, "People said I was pretty good at that. But when it came down to it, it was just getting too dangerous. So, I left and went down to the lower floors to relax."

"You were chickening out when we still needed you!" Nariko stated, "Even some of the Knights of the Blood Oath stated you were good." "Come to think of it, I kinda remembered someone stating that there was a really good axe-user in the reconnaissance group." Asuna recalled, "Was that you?" "Yep. That was me." Yasu answered.

"Still, you abandoned us." Nariko repeated, "We could've needed your expertise." "It was too dangerous." Yasu replied, "That one floor wiped out half of the reconnaissance team." "If you didn't notice, SAO was a life-or-death game." Nariko retorted, "Saving other Players from dangers is the recon's responsibility. The only reason I call you useless and a worthless member of the Organization is because of that: You leave when it seems too tough for you to handle!" Yasu looked away, his eyes narrowed. She was right.

Kazuto, Asuna and Suguha didn't think they should pry into the details of their connection, which was obviously closer than what they were making it out.

"So, how did you guys end up part of the Organization?" Asuna questioned, "Did Xemnas come and recruit you, like he did with Sugou?" "Not exactly." Yasu answered, glad to change the subject, "It was the strangest thing, however. Right as soon as the game was cleared, our bodies were paralyzed." "Same here. At first, I thought that was just part of the clearing program." Nariko followed, "But then, some dark cloud came upon us and swallowed us whole. And when we woke up, we were Nobodies."

"Just like that?" Suguha asked, surprised. "Just like that." Nariko echoed, "Actually, we weren't the only ones. There were suppose to be two others that joined the Organization." "Two others?" Asuna gasped, "Xemnas was recruiting two more members from SAO?"

"Hold on, you said, 'there were SUPPOSE to be two others'." Kirito caught on, "What do you mean by that?" "Well, one did come through and joined us." Yasu stated, "But I don't remember what happened to the second one. Kinda vanished as soon as the game was cleared, right?"

"Did you seriously forget?" Nariko asked, incredulously, "That girl's digital body was sent away before it was taken, and she ended up joining Sora and his little 'friends' in that other world." The trio of Keyblade wielders were startled at this.

"I don't remember this at all." Yasu stated. "Oh, come on!" Nariko barked, "Phox told us all about that girl! He was sent to Castle Oblivion to try to turn her against Sora!" "Wait, who now?" Kazuto asked. "Phox. He was the third person that was recruited by the Organization." Nariko stated, "Truth be told, that guy was a creeper. Don't know who his somebody was, but he was always talking about slaying hearts. He tried even using me to get that girl to join us for that reason."

Kazuto looked down, worried. Who was this fox character? He was a Nobody that he certainly didn't know about, but for some reason, he was feeling a little uneasy.

"So what happened to the girl and this 'Phox' character?" Asuna asked. "Haven't a clue." Nariko answered, "That damn Phox literally backstabbed me before I found out." "He…backstabbed you?" Suguha asked, shocked. "Yeah, I heard that, too!" Yasu stated, "Then Sora went and beat him up. All those at Castle Oblivion were gone, with Axel being the lone survivor."

Suguha looked down, thinking about the said Nobody, recalling when he disappeared right before her. Axel… she thought to herself, wishing she could see him again. Then it occurred to her. Maybe, if Yasu and Nariko, who were both Nobodies, are now people here, then Axel might be alive, as well. Hopefully, she could find and see him again.

"What about the girl?" Kazuto questioned as Suguha pondered, "Who was she?" "I thought she was with Sora all that time." Nariko recalled, "Shoot, those two were good friends throughout that journey of their's when they took out that Heartless Ansem character." "Still have no idea who you are talking about…" Yasu stated. "Are you trying to irritate me?!" Nariko hissed.

"That's weird. Sora never mentioned anything about this girl." Asuna stated, "It was always him, Donald, Goofy and Jiminy. Only the four of them. None of them mentioned a girl joining their group." "Really?" Nariko asked, confused, "Well, we did rearrange Sora's memories in Castle Oblivion, courtesy of Naminé, of course. Maybe we went a bit too far, and they forgot about her."

"You rearranged Sora's memories?" Kazuto asked, confused. "Yeah, but from what I heard, Naminé fixed it all." Yasu stated, "What you guys traveled with was the original." "Too bad." Nariko sighed, "It was actually kinda fun messing with that kid's head. But I guess all fun must come to an end." The trio of Keyblade wielders looked to one another. Clearly, this girl had some part of her that missed those times.

* * *

_ (Kazuto speaking) We continued to talk for a little while longer after that. Nariko was intrigued in ALO, and decided to drag Yasu and herself into the game to see how fun it was. We got their phone numbers, and parted ways with them, with the two former Nobodies promising not to mention about anything we spoke of to anyone else._

_ Still, the conversation we were given brought up many questions and concerns. One of the bigger ones was how Xemnas was able to bring three out of four SAO Players out of the world, and become Nobodies in that world. How did he do it? Who was this Phox character, and why did this guy make me feel uneasy? Plus, there was this girl that was on Sora's journey. Who was she? Why hadn't Sora or the others mention him at all? It seems like Nariko is the only one who knows about her, and I'm sure that I haven't heard about her outside of that._

_ Then there was the existence of Nariko and Yasu, as well. Suguha pointed it out to me that if those two former Organization members were here, then surely, Axel and the rest of the Organization would be complete people, too. If that's the case, then what about Xemnas, and more importantly, Gouxus? With him gone, Sugou should've returned, but there was no news of him returning. Why is that? Did he somehow go into hiding, or is there another piece of the puzzle we don't know about?_

_ Regardless of all the questions, one thing was for sure; this was certainly not the end of our endeavors. We had to continue training, hoping that we would be ready for the battles ahead._

_ We did wonder what happened to Sora and the others. Of course, we wanted to see them all again. We missed them, and we haven't come in contact with them since we left. What was happening to the revived Players in Twilight Town and Radiant Garden? What about Akihiko Kayaba? There was so much we don't know right now, but that was gonna change soon._

* * *

**9/12/2026**

Kazuto was on the steps of his house, resting his head. He opened his eyes and looked forward, looking ahead. The sky was clear as he laid there, taking a break while Asuna and Suguha were practicing kendo. Yui and Shinichi were both watching the two fight. Meanwhile, Kazuto was reminiscing about all that he had been through since coming back from Sora's world up till now.

He yawned as he leaned back and came face to face with Asuna, who looked down at him. Kazuto yelped in surprise, quickly sitting upright. Asuna giggle at his reaction. "Give me a break, Asuna." sighed Kazuto, relaxing his composure again as Asuna sat next to him.

"Sorry, it's just that you looked so peaceful, dozing off like that." she noticed. "I wasn't dozing. I was just sorta spacing out there." Kazuto defended, "Anyways, did your match with Suguha go well?" "I lost again." Asuna moaned, "I have to admit, she is quite good at kendo."

"You'll get the hang of it, I'm sure." Kazuto told her, "Just use what you know from fighting before, and you can beat her." "I'll try." Asuna sighed, "Though I still have to fight according to kendo rules. That is tough."

Moments later, Suguha and Shinichi came out of the dojo and walked to their side. The portable laptop with the camera that allowed Yui to watch was in Shinichi's arms. "Looks like I got you there, Asuna." Suguha told her, wiping her head with a towel. "I guess so." Asuna responded. They gathered together at the steps of the dojo, resting themselves.

"I think this moment deserves a treat." Asuna stated, walking into the house and coming out with a cooler she placed in the fridge before, "I had just made these this morning. Hope they turned out okay."

"Is that what I think it is?" Shinichi asked as the others gathered around the cooler. Asuna nodded and opened up the cooler to reveal the familiar sky blue ice cream on a stick. "Sea-salt ice cream!" Suguha said happily, "Asuna, you made these?" "You got it!" Asuna responded, taking the four sticks out and handing them out to the others.

They each took one and bit into it. "Oh yeah, this is good!" Shinichi said happily. "You made this exactly the same taste." Kazuto noticed. "It took a while, but I managed to perfect the recipe." Asuna explained, "I even found how to make it for the online world. I know Yui will love to have one. "She definitely will." Suguha agreed.

The were eating their and looking into the sky. "Feels like forever since we were in Sora's dimension." Suguha stated. "Yeah, it kinda does." Kazuto agreed.

"And even after all that, things really didn't change." Shinichi stated. "Nope, and nothing will." Asuna agreed. They paused for a second, then Suguha sighed, "Makes this world kinda small." "Yeah, but part of a world much bigger than we could imagine." Kazuto stated.

Another pause, then Suguha asked, "You know, I know that it helped you out of the realm of Darkness, but I gotta wonder; what is the Door to the Light that we were told a lot?" "Isn't it obvious?" Kazuto retorted, who looked puzzled.

"It's all right here." Asuna responded, pointing at her chest, where her heart was at. "Here?" Suguha asked, pointing at her's. "Sure. It's not that far away from you if you think about it." Kazuto stated, looking upwards, "I never figured would've figured it out before, but after everything that happened, I think I get it. Our hopes. Our bonds. They're what ties us to one another, and guides us back home. That is our Door to the Light." The other three looked to him, then up at the sky, wondering.

Suddenly, the laptop started to flash a bit. "Looks like Yui's wanting to talk to us." Kazuto stated, pulling the laptop to him. He opened the screen up, revealing Yui on it.

"Mama! Papa! Something unusual had just happened." Yui told them. "What is it?" Kazuto asked while the others looked worried. "There was an email that was sent to papa's computer, but…well look!"

Yui used her own powers to pull up the email. Kazuto looked at the email, and noticed what Yui had saw that was strange. A familiar emblem of a circle with two smaller circles on top, like mouse ears. "It's King Mickey's emblem!" Kazuto exclaimed, getting gasps from the others.

"Not only that, but this particular message is from Akihiko Kayaba!" Yui added. "Kayaba…" Kazuto muttered. "The commander…" Asuna added.

Earlier in the week, Kayaba had sent them a message before, explaining about how everything with the revived Players was now in full control, that everyone found a home, and that the Moonlit Black Cats were playing a great part in the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee.

Kayaba was explaining that he was asked by Mickey himself to come to Disney Castle, and he had been appointed part of the science department, and was later on appointed to Chief Scientist of Disney Castle.

He spoke about going on an adventure within another world of data, where he understood our connection with Sora, as well as learning of bonds that were asleep in Sora that he believed were also connected to us. He then specifically spoke to Kazuto and Asuna that they could help those within Sora's heart that were hurting, and that there was a journey they must take to mend the hurt, and awaken those sleeping memories. **(Author Note: For more detailed info on this, look at SAK:FM 'Kayaba's Diary! A Coded Heart!')**

Kazuto opened up the email. It was shorter than the last email, and it was more of an invitation than anything. Kayaba said there was a celebration taking place at Disney Castle, as they did not really celebrate the fall of Organization XIII yet. They were sent with an invitation for all five of them, and Sora, Riku, and Kairi were also gonna be there. If they reply that they would go, he would set it up with Hayner, Diabel and the others at Twilight Town to pick them up.

Kazuto looked shocked as he stared at the laptop. The others saw what the letter said. "So it's an invitation back to the other dimension?" Shinichi realized. "So…we can return there again. But it will only be for a celebration." Suguha pointed out. "And since Ansem's program to send us back home once the celebration is over." Shinichi finished.

"Kirito, what do you think?" Asuna asked. Kazuto looked at the invitation, wondering. While he was feeling comfortably back home again, this was an opportunity of a lifetime. They could all see Sora, Donald and Goofy again, not to mention everyone else. Plus, there was the conversation they had with Yasu and Nariko. That brought up a lot of things they wanted answers for.

"Well, as long as it's only for maybe a day or two, then we should be fine." Kazuto responded, turning to his friends and family with a grin, "Besides, we haven't seen them in a while. So what do you say; Do any of you want to head back there again?" Shinichi and Suguha both nodded with grins on their faces. He turned to Asuna, who nodded as well, then added, "Then let's do it!"

Kazuto looked back at the screen, and Yui looked eager to go. Kazuto then made a reply to Kayaba's message:

"Send us with coordinates. We'll leave at midnight tonight."

* * *

_ (Asuna speaking) So we set up the date. We told Rika, Klein and the others what we were doing, and they all responded with best wishes for our journey to and back from Sora's dimension. Kirito and Suguha both decided secretly that they were going to not tell their mother about it. I felt that it wasn't the right choice, but Kirito didn't think it was necessary since they would only be gone for a day or two. As for Shinichi, he wasn't gonna tell his parents, either, and for the same reasons._

_But I wasn't totally convinced. I knew the party was gonna be fun, and that it wasn't gonna take that long. However, some part of me told me that something was gonna be off. It wasn't a normal feeling, like how it happens in ALO or SAO. It was like…I knew something was about to come. A new kind of enemy that would test me to a great level. And yet, I didn't feel total dread from it. Why was that?_

_That night, I decided to make that decision. I asked my parents to meet me in the living room after supper to discuss something. They still had no idea that I was a Keyblade wielder, nor did they believe my story of where I was. I think it was about time they knew the truth…_

* * *

Asuna had just opened the door into the living room, where she saw both of her parents. Her father, Shouzou Yuuki, was sitting in one of the sofa chairs, while her mother, Kyouko Yuuki, was standing in front of the fireplace.

"Thank you for coming." Asuna told them, closing the door behind her. "So, what was it that you wanted to discuss with us?" Kyouko questioned. Asuna stepped to the middle of the room, and began speaking, "I need to tell you something. It's about what happened a month ago, while I disappeared from ALO." Both of her parents looked to her, wondering what she was gonna tell them.

"I believe my friends have already told you the story about meeting Kazuto and I in another dimension, during the time Aincrad had vanished from ALO as well." Asuna stated. "Yes, but we both decided that was just a mixture of delusions and false hopes for us." Shouzou answered, "I mean, it couldn't possibly be true, could it?"

Asuna was silent, causing her father to look worried, and her mother's eyes to narrow. "Actually, that story was true." Asuna answered, "All that I experienced during that three in a half months was true." She then began explaining briefly about what happened, about how DiZ brought them to that dimension, about where Sugou Nobuyuki's Nobody was at, about the revival of the deceased Players and Akihiko Kayaba, the dangers they went through, and about their friends, especially Sora, Donald and Goofy. When she finished, her father looked shocked, while her mother looked stone-faced.

"…It's been a month since then, and we were sent an invitation to celebrate from what we went through." Asuna finished. "That's why I will go back. It should only be for a day or two, but should anything happen, then you'd know where I'd be."

"Absolutely not!" Kyouko retorted, startling Asuna "I forbid you from entering that game!" "I'm not going to be there for too long!" Asuna assured her firmly, "I'm just saying that if anything SHOULD happen, I would let you know that I won't be back for a while."

"You do realize that your actions have put your body and us through such troubles twice, already." Kyouko told her, "If you had any idea what kind of pain we had to deal with. I was already satisfied with letting you continue your school and to let you be with that boy, but now you are ruining your future even further by doing this!"

"I'm not endangering my life by doing this!" Asuna told her, holding her ground as she glared at her mother, "Kirito and the others are already planning to do this with me! We all agreed on this! We're going online, and heading to where our other friends our."

"Shouzou, say something to her!" Kyouko ordered her husband. "Asuna, I understand you and your friends are still hung up on this whole 'dimension' thing that you claim to have been in." Shouzou stated, "But whatever happened to you inside the game must have messed with your heads, and…"

"It's not in our heads! It's the real deal!" Asuna barked, "We might have had to through such painful battles, and there were times we almost got ourselves killed, but Kirito, Yui, Suguha, Shinichi and I all met such great friends, and I would never doubt myself to think they weren't real. My heart is telling me the truth! Why won't you believe me?!"

"As far as I can tell, those are nothing but delusions." Kyouko said harshly, "In fact, that whole game world has been nothing but a joke. I am confiscating your Amusphere, and you are to never speak of this again!"

Asuna was shocked at this, then she grimaced as her mother was about to walk out to seize her Amusphere. _I can't believe it…_ Asuna thought to herself, her fists curled, _I had really hoped my words would persuade them. I had really hoped the would believe in me. Was that too much to ask from them? If that didn't work, then there's only one thing to do…_

Just before Kyouko reached out to open the door, Asuna produced her Keyblade, shocking Shouzou by its' sudden appearance. She pointed it to the keyhole of the doors, and a beam of light shot out, hitting the keyhole, and locking the door. Kyouko froze, startled at the light, then turned to see Asuna holding her weapon.

"Asuna, what…!" Shouzou gasped. "You could listen to me, so I have no choice but to show you proof." Asuna muttered, her eyes shadowed, "This is the weapon that was given to me during my journey in that other dimension. Kirito and Suguha also have one. It's called a Keyblade."

Kyouko was stunned at the weapon, wondering if what she saw was real. She turned to open the door, but it was locked. "It's no use." Asuna told her, lowering her weapon, "The Keyblade can lock or unlock any keyhole."

Kyouko turned to Asuna, panicked. "How? How can you do this?!" she demanded. "If you want proof, then I can let you hold it." Asuna responded, holding it flat in her hands.

Kyouko was hesitant, then she walked forward as Shouzou came from behind Asuna, getting closer to her. Kyouko reached out and picked up the weapon, looking at it. "It's so…childish." she stated.

"It's a weapon that monsters known as Heartless fear." Asuna explained, "It's the kind of weapon that we use to face against them. In fact, it's the only thing that can defeat them." Asuna reached out for her Keyblade, and the weapon disappeared out of Kyouko's hands, into Asuna's hands once more. "Plus, it's connected to my heart, so no one who isn't a Keyblade wielder can use it." she added, holding it aloft.

"Asuna, why didn't you show us this before?" Shouzou asked. "Because, I thought you would be afraid if I did show you it." Asuna answered, "Plus, I was really hoping you would listen to my words, and believe in me. I guess that didn't work out, now did it?" Shouzou and Kyouko looked at one another, realizing that she had been honest with them for so long, that she wouldn't say stuff like this unless it was truthful.

"This is why I want to head back. During those three and a half months, I have made bonds with so many great people." Asuna told them, "I was able to become stronger, and happier, because of them. I know you will worry about me, but I'll be back. But the thing is, my friends need me, just like I need them. I might be there for a short time, but I also feel like someone or something might need us to help them out. So I should go out and help them regain their happiness, right?"

Asuna's parents just stood there, listening to what she had to say. Asuna didn't say a word. She said enough. If what she said didn't convince them yet, then nothing will. Yet, all she had said came from her heart, and her heart wanted to show just how much she wanted to go.

"Is this…what you really want?" Kyouko asked her. Asuna looked up at her, then nodded determinately. Kyouko paused for a moment, thinking of a way to counter her, but she realized there was no way she could. She had made her final choice.

"Fine. You can go." she said, defeated. Asuna looked surprised at first, but then smiled. "Just be sure to come back quickly, okay?" she told her.

Asuna nodded in confirmation. "I'll be back soon." Asuna assured her, and she waved her Keyblade to the door, sending a beam of light to unlock it. She opened the door, turning to her parents. "Goodbye, mother, father." she told them, and exited the room.

Once the door was closed, Asuna walked several steps down the corridor, turned the corner, and leaned her back against the wall. She clenched a fist to her chest, sighing deeply. The moment took a lot out of her.

When her mother was about to take her Amusphere, she was worried that this would be the end of it. Yet, a little voice of someone dear to her reminded her of something. "Sometimes to got to fight to get your point across, to show others how dead serious you were." That was the very lesson Yuuki Konno taught her so long ago.

_ Your words are helping me again, Yuuki. Thank you._ Asuna silently spoke to her deceased friend, _I will continue to follow this path that you gave me, and hopefully, find that future where I can be with all my friends. I just wish you were there with me. I know you would've wanted to join in these kinds of adventures._

Asuna thought about her friend, and she felt tears falling down her face, hitting the ground below. She did miss Yuuki, and the smile she always gave. The confidence that bolstered herself and everyone around her. The straight-forward personality that either got herself into trouble, or pushed her into someone's heart. She was a bright spirit that, despite the case she was in, never stopped trying, and never gave up when everything was against her. She would've definitely work wonders if she were in their journey to Sora's dimension before.

Asuna wiped the tears away from her eyes, then walked back to her room, waiting for the moment when it was time for herself, Kirito, Suguha, Yui, and Shinichi to leave.

* * *

In the Kirigaya household, Suguha and Kazuto had finished their dinner, and were taking turns getting showers. Even though it was gonna be a while when they came back, they at least needed their bodies to be prepared for when the time comes. Kazuto was in his room, looking at the message from Kayaba, wondering.

Kazuto pulled out his phone, seeing the time. It was a little past ten at night. He then texted Asuna a message, asking if she was ready to go, and he placed his phone on the table, waiting for a response.

"Papa, are you okay?" Yui asked, now part of the pseudo-3D environment camera installed in his room. She had landed on her father's shoulder, looking at him. "I'm just thinking about stuff…" Kazuto answered, smiling at her.

"I'm really excited to go back there again." Yui stated, "Sora helped me understand human emotions better than anyone else. Plus, he is a lot of fun!" "Yeah, I could see that in you before." Kazuto stated, "Sora is an amazing person. He can open your eyes and change who you are for the better, whether he means it or not."

"He's kinda like you and mama!" Yui compared, "You two always find ways to make people smile, and relax in all kinds of situations, even in SAO. If you ask me, I think those capabilities have improved since meeting Sora, Donald, Goofy and Jiminy." "Just like your counceling skills, too." Kazuto replied, making Yui giggle.

Just then, there was a knock on the door to his room. "Kazuto, I'm done taking my shower." Suguha called through it. "Okay, thanks!" Kazuto answered. As his phone buzzed, Suguha added, "By the way, I got a reply from Shinichi. He said he was ready to go when we are. Did you get a reply from Asuna?"

Kazuto pulled up his phone, looking at the message. It said, "Yes. Meet me at the tree on floor 24." "She said she'll meet us there on floor 24, at the usual spot." Kazuto told his sister. "Okay. We'll see here there!" she responded, "I'm gonna log in, now. See you there!" "Right." Kazuto answered, and Suguha closed the door.

* * *

In Alfheim Online, on the 24th floor of Aincrad, Asuna stood there, in the same attire she gained in Sora's dimension. She was looking at Yuuki's blade, still stuck into the ground since that time, long ago. No one dared to remove it, or the bandana tied to the handle, since it was a memorial for the best swordswoman in ALO.

Asuna unsheathed her rapier, and focused herself, directing at the tree. As soon as a tree petal passed her eyes, she opened them, her blade glowing a shining purple. She then unleashed Yuuki's Original Skill, Mother's Rosario, stabbing five times in one angle, then five more times in another, forming an X, then unleashing the final stab in the center of her X, causing an explosion. The attack caused a shockwave that shook the boardwalk behind her. After a moment's pause, she sheathed her blade, sighing in relief.

"Giving your tribute to Yuuki?" asked a familiar voice. Kirito, Leafa, Recon and Yui were landing on the edge of the small island, their wings disappearing. "Of course. I want Yuuki to wish us the best of luck for our trip." Asuna stated, looking at the dark purple sword in the ground. The others looked at it, just as a small gust of wind blew the bandana on it.

"She was one heck of a girl." Leafa stated, "I wish she was still around." "She was a fun person, and a powerful Imp." Recon stated. "Yeah. She would've jumped for an adventure like this." Kirito stated.

"True, but she would also want to bring the rest of the Sleeping Knights with her." Asuna chuckled, "And the first thing she would've done was to buy some Sea-Salt Ice cream." The team laughed at that statement. It was totally something Yuuki would do.

"So, did you get any info from Kayaba?" Asuna asked. "He sent the coordinates of the digital portal directly in front of our house on Floor 22." Yui stated, "It should be there, soon. We'll be arriving at the mansion in Twilight Town. Where Sora, Donald and Goofy will be supposedly meeting us." "Oh, I really hope to see him there." Yui prayed.

"Then let's get going, so we don't miss it." Kirito told the team, who nodded in response. They summoned their wings and took off, leaving behind the big tree behind them.  
Unbeknownst to the heroes, a slightly larger gust of wind miraculously unraveled the bandana from the sword, and it flew into the air. It then started to glow slightly as it flew out to the outside of Aincrad.

* * *

The team left the teleport gate to Floor 22, with the heroes flying towards the log cabin in the middle of the woods. "So, did you tell your parents you were going online for a while?" Kirito asked Asuna as they flew.

"I did. They didn't take it well, at first." Asuna answered, "So, to make them believe in me, and in our story, I showed them the Keyblade." The others looked to at her, shocked. "My mother was gonna take away my Amusphere, had I not showed them the truth." Asuna added, "I was that determined to be with all of you, and to go to that dimension again."

"I guess if you put it that way, I guess we could let it slide." Leafa stated. "Yeah, but I thought we were suppose to keep the Keyblade thing a secret from our parents." Recon recalled, "My parents would've been furious if I told them I was gonna be gone for a while. I managed to sneak online without telling them." "Well, you might regret that later when you wake up IRL again." Leafa told him, making Recon nervous.

After a minute more of flying, the team landed in front of the log cabin home, owned by Kirito, Asuna and Yui. They all looked to it, smiling that it was still there, waiting for them. The bandana that had unraveled itself off of Yuuki's sword had flow out of Aincrad, and down to the 22nd floor. It had caught itself on a branch, and hung there for a while.

Yui then detected something, and turned to their right. "Here it comes!" she called to them, and the heroes turned to see a stream of digital energy forming into a portal, beckoning to them. "That's our ride over." Leafa stated. "Right then. Let's go." Kirito stated, and the team walked towards the portal.

"Wait up!" called out a voice in the sky. The team stopped and turned, startled at what they saw. Klein, Liz, Silica, Agil and Sinon all flew down from the sky, landing right behind them.

"Guys!" Asuna gasped, seeing them all here. "How did you find us?!" Recon asked. "We've heard your message, and was keeping tabs on you from our friends list." Sinon stated, "When we saw you arrive at Floor 22, we assumed we knew where you were heading to. So we followed you guys afterwards."

"So, were you guys thinking about joining us?" Kirito asked, concerned. "Nah. We've already had our fair share of fun in our last visit to the other side." Klein stated. "We just wanted to send you guys off with friends saying goodbye!" Silica stated, with Pina crying out in agreement.

"Oh, I see." Kirito stated with a smirk. "Thanks, you guys!" Asuna thanked them happily. "We promise to come back soon!" Yui stated. "Knowing your guys's luck, we won't hold onto that one." Liz stated. "True that." Agil agreed.

"We'll go on ahead to tell everyone we are coming." Recon told Kirito, Asuna and Yui. "Don't get too far behind!" Leafa warned them. The two raced to the portal, where they dove in, and disappeared from sight.

"Guess we'll be off, now." Asuna told the team. "Don't be too long, you hear?" Agil told them. "Watch out for Heartless and Nobodies." Sinon warned them. "Tell Sora we all said hi!" Silica asked. "Sure thing." Kirito answered. "Make sure you don't get into trouble." Liz warned them. "We try not to, but…" Asuna started, but the others didn't need to hear the rest. They knew what kind of luck they had.

"If you see any girls at this party, try telling them about me, okay?" Klein asked. "I don't think anyone would be there for him." Yui told Kirito and Asuna, who chuckled at this. Liz huffed a bit at Klein, who decided to just shut himself up from her glare. As the team was laughing at Klein's moment, the bandana freed itself, and it flew into the digital portal, not seen by anyone else.

Kirito, Asuna and Yui all turned and walked to the portal. The stood at the edge of it, looking back one last time at their friends, who were waving them off in farewell. The trio looked at one another, nodded at one another, and stepped in, disappearing from view.

For a while, they flew through darkness and digital energy. A doorway of light seem to open up before them, and they went through. Then, when they came to, they found themselves standing in the same machine they were in about a month ago, inside the abandoned mansion. Pence was at the controls. Leafa and Recon were standing next to Donald, Goofy, Hayner, and Olette.

However, in the center of the bunch was none other than Sora, who beamed at the sight of them. Yui cried out as she dove at Sora, hugging his face as he reeled back a bit from the impact.

"It's so great to see you again, Sora!" Yui exclaimed, happy to see him. Kirito and Asuna could tell from this just how much she missed him. "Yui, I can't breath!" Sora's muffled voice called out to her. Yui realized what she was doing, and backed off. "Sorry." she apologized, "I didn't mean to cause you discomfort." "It's okay." Sora sighed, smiling at her, "I'm glad to see you, too, Yui." Yui smiled happily.

He then turned to Kirito and Asuna, who walked towards him. "Hey there, Sora. It's been a while." Kirito greeted, raising a hand. "We're so glad to see you again." Asuna added, raising her hand as well. Sora nodded in response, and took each of their hands with his own. "We're back together again!" Sora stated, happily.

* * *

_ (Kirito speaking) Whether we knew it or not, a new adventure was gonna wait for us that day. It would test our bonds, and our friendships with each other, and those connected to us. It was gonna send us between the borders of dimensions, and to wondrous new worlds that Asuna and I would have never known of before. But one thing's for sure; We will follow the path that the Keyblades have made for us, and to protect the true light that the darkness wishes to seek: Kingdom Hearts._


End file.
